A suspect has been identified in the Stamford apartment shooting that led to a police chase Tuesday.
Twenty-six-year-old Kerwin Mathon, of Bridgeport, is facing a number of charges including shooting an illegal handgun, according to police.
The incident began when a resident of the Woodside Green Apartments on Summer Street heard gunshots around a gazebo and called the police. Another person called the police and described the suspect?s vehicle.
Police picked up the vehicle on Washington Boulevard, and a brief pursuit followed. Then police say Mathon jumped out of the vehicle and ran.
Police chased Mathon through the Stamford train station, finally surrounding him and pointing their guns. The train station was crowded with people at the time, and Mathon was running with a handgun clearly visible.
At that point, it became a suicide standoff, police say. They say Mathon put a locked and loaded gun in his mouth.
?The suspect repeatedly told the officers, ?Kill me, go ahead and kill me,?? Lt. Sean Cooney of the Stamford Police Department said.
It was at that point that Sgt. Chris Gioielli approached the suspect from behind and used a Taser gun on him. The Taser saved the suspect?s life, and possibly many others, police say.
In addition to being found in possession of an illegal handgun, police say they also found 10 bags of heroin on Mathon.
Mathon is facing a laundry list of charges, police say, including reckless endangerment and possession of a firearm and narcotics. They say he has several prior drug and assault arrests.
Mathon is being held on $500,000 bond.
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