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Luzerne County D.A.: Man Killed By Suicide By Cop

WILKES-BARRE — The joint investigation into a deadly police involved shooting in Luzerne County has been ruled justified. The Luzerne County district atto...

WILKES-BARRE -- The joint investigation into a deadly police involved shooting in Luzerne County has been ruled justified.

The Luzerne County district attorney's office and state police say the two Pittston police officers who shot at a 77-year-old man are cleared of any wrongdoing.

The people living at Anthracite Apartments say the death of resident Robert Quinn is simply a tragedy for all involved.

The 77-year-old man died Sunday night after being shot at by two Pittston police officers who say Quinn was outside smoking and waving a gun in the air.

Investigators say the officers fired on him after Quinn pointed the gun at them.

“I just think it's very sad, it's very unfortunate what happened to him. He was such a good man,” said Patricia Gavigan.

The Luzerne County district attorney's office and state police have now ruled that shooting death justified.

Through interviews, investigators learned that Quinn complained of constant pain and had suicidal thoughts for at least a decade; thoughts that included being shot by police.

Now the district attorney ruled Quinn's death suicide by cop.

“I just felt sorry for him, a lot of people felt sorry because he never bothered nobody but I think he wanted to die, I really do, got disgusted the way he lives,” said Irma Rome. “He wasn't happy. No he wasn't happy, I know he wasn't.”

People say Quinn was Catholic and couldn't take his own life because of his faith.

“Basically, if you kill yourself, they say you go to hell,” said Jim Reap. “Word going around, they're saying he couldn't do it himself, that was it, that was his plan to go out.”

Police even learned that it was Quinn who asked a friend to call 911 the night of the shooting to report a man with a gun, then showed the friend the gun

Investigators say that Quinn was actually holding a pellet gun that looked like a high-caliber pistol.

“I think, I don't think he wanted to live, when you're in pain all the time, I don't think you want to live,” said Rome.

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