PARMA, Ohio — A 64-year-old Parma man who barricaded himself in his home after a high-speed pursuit with police on Sunday was found dead inside his home after a 12-hour standoff that ended violently early Monday morning.
At approximately 2:05 p.m. Sunday, Parma officers started a pursuit of a Dodge pick-up truck in the area of State and Brookpark roads that was allegedly involved in the shooting of an off-duty police officer in a gas station parking lot located in the 5200 block of State Road.
Officers later identified the driver as Kevin Richard Giesel, 64, of Parma.
He fled from officers at a high rate of speed while traveling down State Road. He led officers to his home in the 5700 block of South Park Boulevard where he ran inside and refused to come out.
"A stream of cars came flying in right behind him, guns drawn and they shuffled us into the basement," next door neighbor Michele Holbrook said. "Knowing him and knowing the situation, I just knew it wasn’t going to end well."
Crisis negotiators were contacted and responded to the home. Multiple police departments responded including Berea, Broadview, Brooklyn, Brook Park, Brunswick, Middleburg Heights, North Royalton, Olmsted Falls, Olmsted Township, Parma, Parma Heights and Strongsville.
For nearly six hours, negotiators spoke with Giesel trying to convince him to surrender peacefully.
Parma police said Giesel was believed to be under the influence of drugs and /or alcohol and ceased contact with negotiators for the next six hours.
"As the evening went on, we saw less and less of him," neighbor Barbee Thomas added. "They would be talking to him over the loudspeaker trying to get him to answer the door, to get him to come out. It’s always sad to see things come to the end."
At approximately 2:30 a.m., police say Giesel pointed and fired a gun at officers. Officers returned fire at Giesel, who was later found dead inside his home. It is unknown if police gunfire killed the man or he took his own life.
Police said tactical officers do not wear body camera videos, so there is no footage from body cams or from dash cameras available.
More than 24 hours after the standoff first started, detectives were still inside the Parma home collecting evidence while neighbors watched on.
The Ohio Attorney General's Bureau of Criminal Investigation is investigating this shooting.
RELATED: Heavy police presence in residential neighborhood in Parma, situation ongoing
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