Copyright The Boston Globe
The gunshot that killed a Fall River man during a shootout with police in his home in July has been determined to be self-inflicted and his death ruled a suicide, the Bristol district attorney’s office said Wednesday. Domonick Knight had been experiencing a “mental health crisis” in the early morning hours of July 15, prompting his family to call the police, the Globe reported. Knight, 38 , was armed and threatening to harm himself, according to the statement from Bristol District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn III. Police arrived at the duplex-style home at 117 Langley St. at 1:30 a.m. and evacuated all other residents before attempting to negotiate with him. After nearly an hour of talks proved unsuccessful, police and the emergency services unit forcefully entered the residence at around 3:15 a.m., the statement said. Advertisement As soon as police breached the front door, Knight began firing on them from the top of the staircase, according to a statement from the Fall River Police Department at the time of the shooting. Officers returned fire; body cam footage shows a brief shootout lasting approximately five seconds. Police yelled at Knight to come downstairs. Receiving no response, they deployed a flash bang and ascended the staircase, the footage shows. Knight was found on the floor of the landing with a gunshot wound to the side of his head. A short-barreled rifle was beneath his body and a handgun was lying near his hand. An autopsy was conducted by the chief medical examiner’s office, and Knight’s death was determined to be a suicide, Quinn said Wednesday. His manner of death was ruled a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. Advertisement “Investigative steps are ongoing,” the statement said. “No further information is available at this time.” Rita Chandler can be reached at rita.chandler@globe.com.
