Shawn Spiros, a 36-year-old St. Louis man, died on Saturday during a standoff with police after a 911 caller reported that he was drunk and out of control, officials say.
Cops say they don't know who fired the fatal bullet -- an officer or Spiros. He apparently died at the end of a tense standoff in which cops tried to engage him.
The 911 call came in at 7:40 p.m. when a witness reported that a male neighbor -- on the 9800 block of Arv-Ellen Drive in Affton -- was "extremely agitated, intoxicated and was acting crazy."
And he was armed.
Spriros, cops say, had pulled out a handgun in his front yard and was apparently waving it in the air "yelling call the police."
By the time cops arrived, he was sitting on his front porch and officers "made an attempt to engage him in conversation in an effort to secure his safety, and those living around him," police say.
This communication, however, eventually failed, and police say Spiros took his firearm out of his waistband and then raised it in the direction of the officers -- before pointing it at his own head.
Police say that "in that split second," an officer fired at the man at the same time that Spiros fired at his own head.
"At this point in time it is unclear whether the man died of a self inflicted gunshot wound, or from the single round fired by police," the police report says.
Regardless, the man did not survive.
The St. Louis County Medical Examiner's Office will release a report on the incident at a later date, police say.
Here's the full summary from cops:
The St. Louis County Police Department Affton/Southwest Precinct responded to a 911 Call at 7:40 P.M. on July 13, 2013 to the 9800 block of Arv-Ellen for a reported disturbance. The caller reported a male neighbor was extremely agitated, intoxicated, and was acting crazy. The male produced a handgun in the front yard, and was waiving it in the air yelling call the police. When officers arrived the male was sitting on the front porch of his home. Officers made an attempt to engage him in conversation in an effort to secure his safety, and those living around him. At some point that line of communication ceased, and the man produced a firearm from his waistband, raised it toward officers, then to his own head. In that split second, two were fired in succession, one by the male and the other by a single officer. At this point in time it is unclear whether the man died of a self inflicted gunshot wound, or from the single round fired by police.The deceased has been identified as 36 year old Shawn Spiros. The St. Louis County Medical Examiner's Office will release a report at a later date determining the cause of death.
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