SOUTH PARK, Pa. — An hours-long standoff at a townhome behind the Park Place Apartments in South Park ended overnight Monday with a fire, followed by the discovery of a man’s body, police said.
The deceased man was identified as 37-year-old Daniel Wang, of South Park.
Officials said the incident began about 4 p.m. Monday on Patrick Place, off McConkey Road, after Wang's wife went to the South Park police station. She told authorities that her husband was making threats toward her and officers who might show up at the home.
Police and SERT went to the home and began negotiation attempts with Wang, police said.
Just before 3 a.m. Tuesday, police were heard over a loudspeaker asking Wang to come out of the townhome with his hands up. The incident came to an end shortly afterward when Wang set fire to the home, according to police.
Authorities told Channel 11’s Jennifer Tomazic that they thought they were close to reaching an agreement with Wang when the fire was spotted in a window.
Firefighters and police went into the home to put out the fire and found Wang dead, authorities said. A few weapons were also found in the home and a back window had been shot out.
“He fired a couple shots out the back window, but they weren’t at anybody. He wasn't aiming at anybody, just wanted to, I guess, get our attention. And he did,” South Park Police Chief Dennis McDonough said.
Wang lived in the home with his wife and a 20-month-old child, neither of whom were hurt.
The entrance to the apartment complex was blocked off during the standoff and neighbors near the townhome were evacuated.
“When we first got here, the whole entrance was blocked off by police cars and a couple of bomb squad cars,” Nicolette Becker, a resident of the apartments, said.
Residents of two other townhomes were displaced by the fire, which led to smoke and water damage.