PISCATAWAY, N.J., March 28 (UPI) -- A New Jersey police sergeant died of an apparent gunshot after a 10-hour standoff with his own force, authorities said Monday.
Detective Sgt. David Powell, 46, a 21-year veteran of the Piscataway police, had just endured a difficult divorce, his mother, Diane, told The Star-Ledger of Newark, N.J.
Powell barricaded himself in his home Sunday afternoon, Mayor Brian Wahler said.
Kenneth D'Annunzio, a volunteer firefighter, said police asked Powell to come out around 4 p.m., when four gunshots were heard from the house.
A SWAT team -- which Powell once commanded -- and other police began to disperse around 2 a.m., and a caravan of vehicles left the scene just under 4 1/2 hours later.
Police told WABC-TV in New York Powell was home alone at the time and his family was not harmed.
"To be quite honest, this incident doesn't surprise me," neighbor Wendy Richards told WABC. "What surprises me is that it took this long to get to this point. I really thought this would have blown up sooner."
The Middlesex Prosecutor's Office and Piscataway police are investigating to determine how Powell was killed.
