At least three Pittsburgh police officers were killed and possibly two others were wounded after a heavily armed man began firing at them as they responded to a domestic call this morning at a home in Stanton Heights.
The gunman, identified as Richard Poplawski and who told friends he was wearing a bulletproof vest, surrendered to police about 11 a.m., more than three hours after the standoff began at 1016 Fairfield St. His condition was not immediately available, but he told friends who spoke with him by telephone that he had been shot.
The names of the officers were not immediately released. At least one wounded officer was treated at a hospital and released. Shortly after 1 p.m., city 911 dispatchers announced that flags in the city would be lowered to half staff and officers were to place black mourning bands over their badges "in honor of our deceased brothers . . . lest we forget."
The incident began around 7:30 a.m. after officers went to the address and the suspect opened fire, police said.
Police Chief Nathan Harper said four officers initially were wounded when Mr. Poplawski fired an assault rifle from a window. A fifth officer was wounded in a later burst of gunfire, the chief said.
For much of the morning, the standoff forced police to lock down the neighborhood as scores of officers converged on the house, where Mr. Poplawski had barricaded himself with at least one family member.
Some of the wounded officers remained for a time where they fell because other officers could not reach them because of the continuing fusillade, according to Diane Richard, Pittsburgh Police spokeswoman.
A state police helicopter hovered overhead as more than 100 officers from Pittsburgh, the state, the district attorney's office and the Port Authority converged along with neighbors and other onlookers.
Authorities as well as members of the suspect's family were in contact with Mr. Poplawski by phone. Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl was among the officials at the scene.
Mr. Poplawski is in his early 20s, according to neighbor and longtime friend Joe DiMarco. Mr. DiMarco and his mother, Darlene, said they spoke to Mr. Poplawski on the telephone this morning.
"He told me he loved me and that he'd been shot in the chest and leg," Ms. DiMarco said.
She also said Mr. Poplawski's mother and possibly his grandmother were in the house with him.
Another neighbor, Brian Merlina, said he was getting out of the shower at 7:30 a.m. when he heard rapid-fire gunshots. About 30 minutes later, he heard at least two dozen more shots fired.
Shortly thereafter, the state police helicopter landed in a field near his house. He said he drove a trooper who got out of the helicopter to the scene.
Utility crews cut off power to the house at 10:45 a.m. because they believed Mr. Poplawski was monitoring media reports. He surrendered a short time later.
Drew Stadler, 34, who lives nearby on Oglethorpe Street, said he heard loud bangs around 8 a.m. From his window, he saw Mr. Poplawski pointing what appeared to be a semiautomatic rifle and shooting at officers from a window above the garage of the Fairfield Street house.
SWAT officers were pinned down, with their protective shields up, at an adjacent house.
At one point, the SWAT officers pulled away a wounded officer and dragged him down the street, Mr. Stadler said. He also said he heard potentially hundreds of shots fired throughout the incident.
Other friends said Mr. Poplawski had several guns, including an AK-47 assault-type rifle, a .357 Magnum revolver, a .380-caliber handgun and a .45-caliber handgun. They also said they believed he had not been getting along with his mother.
Mr.Poplawski called Edward Perkovic, a longtime friend and former classmate at North Catholic High School, on a cell phone around 8:30 a.m. Mr. Perkovic said Mr. Poplawski told him he'd been shot in the chest and leg, but that the bulletproof vest he'd been wearing had shielded him.
Mr. Perkovic also said Mr. Poplawski told him: "Eddie, I'm going to die today. Tell my mother and friends I love them. This is probably the end."
A burst of gunfire followed, and the call ended, Mr. Perkovic said. A short time later, he said, a city 911 official telephoned him and asked him to come to Fairfield Street and help to negotiate a surrender with Mr. Poplawski.
By the time he arrived there, however, the standoff had ended.
Mr. Perkovic and other former classmates said they were surprised by this morning's events. Mr. Perkovic said Mr. Poplawski was opposed to "Zionist propaganda" and was fearful that his right to own weapons would be taken away.
Another friend, Aaron Vire, 23, said he'd helped Mr. Poplawski and Mr. Perkovic with a radio show they'd broadcast on the Internet, discussing "girls and life."
Mr. Poplawski had supported Republican candidate John McCain in the presidential election and had "very spirited debates" about Democratic candidate Barack Obama, Mr. Vire said.
Mr. Poplawski was opposed to Mr. Obama's election, which he thought would result in the loss of his rights, Mr. Vire said.
"He wasn't a racist but thought some of his amendments were overlooked," Mr. Vire said.
Mr. Poplawski told him he bought his guns "because he felt the quality of life was being diminished," Mr. Vire said.
"He said he'll be ready if there's ever an invasion of the United States and that he had stockpiled foods and guns for that eventuality."
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