Man who told Scranton cops 'shoot me' is safely coaxed from Pine Brook rooming house
Mar. 2—Scranton police safely coaxed a man from a Pine Brook rooming house Thursday morning who moments earlier urged officers to shoot him.
The 44-year-old, who surrendered to police shortly after 11 a.m. in front of the Melba Bar & Grill on Capouse Avenue, was detained for a mental health evaluation, Lt. Michael Perry said.
A neighbor of the rooming house told police he heard a disturbance. Someone smashed a window by throwing something through it, Perry said.
When an officer arrived, a man armed with a knife stood at the top of the stairs and said, "shoot me," Perry said.
More city officers arrived to try and talk him into coming out.
Other residents of Capouse Avenue watched from the sidewalk and from their properties.
After a few minutes, a lanky man emerged from the rooming house and raised his hands above his head. Police quickly put him in handcuffs.
The man is not currently facing a criminal charge, though Perry noted the investigation remains active.
Contact the writer: jkohut@timesshamrock.com, 570-348-9100, x5187; @jkohutTT on Twitter.
