After threatening his estranged wife and dousing her home in gasoline, a 47-year-old Crownsville man fatally shot himself as officers came to the house to investigate Tuesday, according to police.
Anne Arundel County police said James John Dean threatened his wife with a shotgun and to burn down her home with the two inside Tuesday.
Officers were first called to the residence in the 2000 block of Saint Stephens Woods Drive just before 4 p.m. for an unknown disturbance. No one answered at the front door, but an officer noticed a woman sitting in a chair inside the home, but police said she did not acknowledge them. When officer then saw Dean with the shotgun through the window, police said the officer yelled at Dean to drop the weapon.
Dean saw the officer and shot himself, police said.
The woman was identified as Dean's wife, but her name was not released by police.
During the incident, she had convinced Dean to allow her to use her phone, police said. She was able to text a friend, who called police.
The officers were able to evacuate Dean's wife from the home, where they detected a heavy odor of gasoline, police said.
Before confronting his wife, police said Dean had burglarized the house and doused it with what was thought to be gasoline.
The incident remains under investigation.