A man committed suicide while inside a self-storage unit at a facility in Hanford, Calif., on Wednesday following a lengthy standoff with police. Police were called to Santa Fe Mini Storage, 1200 W. Grangeville Blvd., after an unidentified man was spotted at about 6 p.m. holding a gun to his head. Once police confirmed the man was armed, they set up a perimeter around the self-storage facility and a standoff ensued.
The Hanford Police Department Hostage Negotiation Team attempted to speak with the man, whose name has yet to be released. A phone was tossed into unit in which the man was barricaded, but he refused to answer and did not respond to police orders to surrender.
The Central Valley Regional SWAT Team reported to the scene at 8:30 p.m. Following an hour of waiting for some kind of response from the man, the SWAT team sent in a robot to check on his welfare. The footage from the robots camera showed the man was slumped on the floor of the unit. SWAT team members moved in and found the man deceased from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Police have not confirmed how many weapons the man had at the time of the standoff, but did say no hostages were taken. They also denied early reports that the man was the facility owner, Dennis Hill.
According to Santa Fe Mini Storages website, the facility is owned and operated by Dennis and Sue Hill.
Sources:
- Santa Fe Mini Storage: Website : Santa Fe Mini Storage
- The Sentinel: Man Hiding in Storage Unit Kills Himself After Lengthy Standoff
