Man dies of self-inflicted gunshot wound during police stop in Pittsburg

PITTSBURG — A 52-year-old man fatally shot himself Monday during a police encounter after authorities conducted a traffic stop tied to a felony warrant for alleged child sexual abuse, authorities said.

Officers did not use any force during the incident, according to a social media post from the Pittsburg Police Department.

Around 2:19 p.m., officers conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle of a man who had an arrest warrant for alleged sexual abuse of a child, authorities said.

The man, a resident of Pittsburg and the only person in the vehicle, pulled over in the area of Loveridge Road and Pittsburg Antioch Highway but did not cooperate with the officers, authorities said. He then reportedly did not cooperate with the officers who stopped him.

The man held a firearm as he sat in his vehicle, prompting crisis negotiators to report to the scene where they began conversing with the man to attempt a peaceful outcome to the incident, authorities said. The man told responders that he wanted to end his life. Authorities then brought medical professionals to the scene.

Responding officers spoke with the man for more than ten hours, authorities added.

The man then shot himself, authorities said. Despite medical personnel providing immediate care on the scene, the man was taken to a local hospital and died of his wounds.

The man’s identity will be released by the Contra Costa County Coroner’s Office pending notification of next of kin.

Assistance was also provided by the Antioch Police Department, the Walnut Creek Police Department and the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office.

Anyone with further information on this incident are asked to contact PPD dispatch at 925-646-2441.

If you or someone you know is struggling with feelings of depression or suicidal thoughts, the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline offers free, round-the-clock support, information and resources for help. Call or text the lifeline at 988, or see the 988lifeline.org website, where chat is available.