LEWES, Del. - A man died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound Monday following a lengthy police response to a welfare check in the Angola area of Sussex County, Delaware State Police said.
Jason Arnold was the subject of a welfare check around 11 p.m. on Sunday, June 22 after making threats to harm himself and his family, according to police. When troopers responded to the call on Cea Dag Circle in Dagsboro, they learned Arnold had left the residence and was driving toward his family’s home on Blackwood Drive in the Angola area of Lewes.
A Millsboro police officer spotted Arnold’s black Honda Pilot and tried to stop him, but Arnold fled, leading police on a short chase that ended on Blackwood Drive. When the car came to a stop, police say Arnold stepped out armed with a gun and began firing at officers. Both a trooper and the Millsboro officer returned fire.
Arnold was struck during the exchange but managed to run into the home on Blackwood Drive. For several hours, the Crisis Management Team and the Delaware State Police Special Operations Response Team tried to negotiate with him to surrender. Eventually, officers entered the home and found Arnold dead from what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the upper body.
No officers were injured. A 69-year-old woman in a neighboring home suffered minor injuries, although it’s unclear whether they were caused directly by the gunfire. She was treated at a local hospital and released.
The events left some neighbors stunned.
“I heard, you know, ‘pow pow pow pow pow pow pow pow,’” William Pinera said, describing the sound of gunfire from their nearby home.
Pinera said he never expected something like this to unfold in his neighborhood.
“This neighborhood is so safe—we don’t ever have a problem,” Pinera said.
Pinera, a veteran, described the gunshot sounds as similar to a warzone, saying the sound was triggering.
One neighbor told CoastTV they heard what they guessed to be 40-50 gunshots in the middle of the night.
Around 3 a.m., residents of neighboring homes were evacuated as police surrounded the property and continued trying to resolve the standoff peacefully.
Nathan Porter, a father, said the incident left him shaken.
“It was definitely a little scary with the kids,” Porter said. “It hit really close to home—especially when you kind of sleep through it."
As standard procedure, the Delaware State Police trooper who fired during the exchange has been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of a use-of-force investigation. The Millsboro officer involved is also following departmental protocol. The Delaware Department of Justice is assisting in the review.
The Delaware State Police Homicide Unit is leading the investigation and asks anyone with information to contact Detective M. Csapo at (302) 741-2729 or Delaware Crime Stoppers at 1-800-TIP-3333.