Man, 37, dies in police standoff in Lynn

March 17, 2008 11:32 AM Email| Comments (0)| Text size – +

By John R. Ellement and Andrew Ryan, Globe Staff

LYNN -- A 37-year-old man was killed early this morning after an eight-hour standoff with police ended in gunfire, but officials have not said how the man died.

The man, identified as Robert Mangiafico, was armed with a handgun, according to Essex District Attorney Jonathan Blodgett, who did not answer any questions at a press briefing this morning. It was not clear, however, whether Mangiafico shot at police, shot himself, or was shot by police.

The standoff began as a domestic violence call on Woodman Street at 9 p.m. Sunday, Blodgett said. Mangiafico was spotted by Lynn police on Center Street and a footchase led to the intersection of Brookvale and Tacoma streets, where a standoff ensued in a driveway until 5:07 a.m.

“At that time, shots were fired,” said Blodgett, who did not offer any additional details.

Mangiafico was taken to Union Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 5:30 a.m., Blodgett said.

Colonel Mark Delaney of the State Police and Chief John Suslack of the Lynn Police Department stood with Blodgett at the press conference but said nothing.

Lynn police manned the standoff for the first two hours and “the individual threatened to harm himself,” Blodgett said. “They did all they could to de-escalate the situation.”

The State Police SWAT team took over at 11:30 p.m. and used a number of “nonlethal techniques ... to try to bring the standoff to an end,” Blodgett said without offering any specifics.