DANVILLE (WSLS 10) - Danville police say a 40-year-old Danville man killed himself after a standoff with police on Wednesday afternoon.
At about 2:24 p.m., at the intersection of Church Street and Keen Street, a police officer saw Christopher Bennett, 40, who he knew had an outstanding warrant for domestic assault and battery.
The officer approached Bennett and told him there was an outstanding warrant for his arrest.
Bennett turned away briefly from the officer and then pulled a handgun out of his pocket telling the officer, "I'm going to kill you," according to the Danville Police Department.
Police say the officer then pulled out his duty weapon and backed away, telling Bennett to drop the gun. Bennett then ran from the officer across North Main Street.
The officer called for assistance and multiple officers responded.
Police say Bennett was again encountered on Sunnyside Street, still holding the handgun. Responding officers established a perimeter and began negotiations with Bennett. He refused to comply with repeated commands from officers to drop his weapon.
Bennett agreed to drop the weapon and surrender if a specific officer he knew personally would speak with him. That officer, who was off-duty at the time, was contacted and responded to the scene and began negotiating with Bennet by phone.
When the officer arrived on the scene, he began direct communication with Bennett, asking him several times to drop the gun and surrender. After refusing to put down his weapon, moments later, Bennet instead put the gun to his head and shot himself. Officers had negotiated with Bennett for more than 48 minutes.
EMS personnel who were staged near the scene responded immediately and rendered treatment.
Bennett was transported to Danville Regional Medical Center and was pronounced dead at 4:43 p.m.