Newport Beach standoff ends when man shoots himself in head

A seven-hour police standoff in a gated community in Newport Beach ended early Tuesday when a man shot himself in the head, police said.

The 44-year-old man, who was not identified, was taken to a hospital about 4:30 a.m., said Newport Beach police spokeswoman Kathy Lowe. His condition was unknown, she said.

The incident began about 9:15 p.m. Monday when a woman called police and reported she had been threatened by a man with a gun in a home in the Balboa Cove community, Lowe said. Officers found the woman outside the residence unhurt.

Authorities were able to contact the suspect inside via telephone. He refused to surrender, told police he was suicidal and threatened to hurt himself, Lowe said.

A SWAT team and crisis negotiators were called in, and authorities made "sporadic" contact with the man over the next several hours, Lowe said. They entered the residence about 4:30 a.m., when they found the wounded man.

The man and woman knew each other, Lowe said, though investigators had not determined their exact relationship.

About eight nearby homes were evacuated during the standoff, Lowe said. Residents stayed at a local hospital until the incident ended.

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-- Kate Mather

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Image: Approximate location of incident shown in red. Credit: Google Maps