A Massachusetts man who shot himself after an hourslong standoff with police that shut down Interstate 495 in Andover on Tuesday night has died, state police say.
The suspect, identified by police as Anthony Miele, 49, of Quincy, killed himself while state police negotiators were attempting to get him to surrender. He was taken to an area hospital, where he was pronounced dead shortly before midnight.
Police said the incident began around 7 p.m. when a state police sergeant observed a BMW driven by Miele parked outside the Digital Federal Credit Union on Route 28 in Methuen. The car was the subject of a police alert issued in connection to multiple bank robberies in southeastern Massachusetts.
Miele began to drive away, and the sergeant, who was in an unmarked cruiser, followed him. A short time later, the sergeant and another state police trooper who responded to assist attempted to stop the BMW, but Miele refused to stop and fled through several side streets and onto Route 28 south. The car continued to flee south into Lawrence before entering I-495 south with the two state police cruisers still in pursuit.
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Around 7:10 p.m., shortly after crossing into Andover on I-495, police said Miele pulled into the grass median, reversed the direction of his car and stopped. Troopers pulled up the car and saw Miele holding a gun to his head. Police then established a perimeter and called in additional state police resources, including a crisis negotiation unit.
Aerial footage of the scene showed police vehicles blocking traffic near Exit 40. Law enforcement officials could be seen with guns drawn, focused on a dark-colored sedan that had pulled off in the median, near Interstate 93 and the Lawrence/Andover line.
Police said negotiators attempted to talk to Miele for nearly two hours in an effort to get him to surrender.
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At one point, police said Miele threw a ballistic vest and two ammunition magazines out of the car, but remained inside the car with the gun. Shortly after 9 p.m., police said Miele discharged a single round from the gun, shooting himself. Police then approached the car, confirmed that he had indeed shot himself, and allowed emergency medical responders to approach. He was taken by ambulance to Lawrence General Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
No officers discharged their weapons, state police said. The Essex County District Attorney's Office will investigate the shooting.
Drivers were warned to avoid the area during Tuesday's standoff. Video from the scene showed a lengthy backup behind police vehicles on the highway, with cars at a complete standstill. Several commuters said on social media they had been stuck in bumper to bumper traffic for over an hour.
"All you see is k-9s and big guns it’s like watching the movie the town," Evelio Cruz wrote on Facebook.
At 10:15 p.m., MassDOT said I-495 southbound and area ramps had reopened, and the rest of the highway reopened later Tuesday night.
If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline or chat live at 988lifeline.org. You can also visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for additional support.
