FALL RIVER, MA – The death of a man who died during an armed standoff with Fall River police in July has been officially ruled a suicide, according to the Bristol County District Attorney’s office.
Domonick Knight, 38, of Fall River, suffered a fatal gunshot wound to the head during the early morning hours of July 15 after exchanging gunfire with police officers. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, which performed Knight’s autopsy, confirmed Wednesday that his death was self-inflicted.
Officers arrived at 117 Langley St. at approximately 1:30 a.m. in response to a call about a man inside the residence who was armed with a firearm and making statements of self-harm. Police quickly evacuated other residents from the building and began attempting to negotiate with Knight, who was later identified as the armed individual.
About an hour after the initial response, a trained crisis negotiator arrived on scene and made multiple attempts to establish contact with Knight. Officers tried communicating through phone calls, text messages, and a loudspeaker, but Knight did not respond to any of these efforts.
The department’s Emergency Services Unit also attempted to establish dialogue with Knight, but all communication efforts proved unsuccessful over the course of nearly two hours.
At approximately 3:15 a.m., after exhausting negotiation attempts, officers made the decision to enter the home. Upon entry, they exchanged gunfire with Knight and found him on the second-floor landing with two firearms nearby.
Knight had sustained a gunshot wound and was immediately transported to a local hospital for treatment, where he was pronounced dead. The department later released body camera footage capturing the exchange of gunfire, along with photos showing Knight on the floor after being shot. The footage contains graphic imagery.
A Massachusetts State Police investigation into the standoff revealed that Knight was the first to fire a weapon, doing so at police officers shortly after they entered the residence. This finding was corroborated by the body camera footage from the responding officers.
The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner’s determination that Knight’s fatal gunshot wound was self-inflicted provides closure to questions about the circumstances of his death. Despite the exchange of gunfire with police, the medical evidence shows Knight took his own life.
The investigation remains ongoing in light of this information, though prosecutors said no further details are being released at this time. The Bristol County District Attorney’s office continues to review all aspects of the incident.
