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Suspect dead, officer shot in Harrisburg standoff

A standoff and firefight between police in Harrisburg and a wanted man turns deadly.  Police and the suspect, 24-year-old Abel Roman, fired at each other for ni...

A standoff and firefight between police in Harrisburg and a wanted man turns deadly.  Police and the suspect, 24-year-old Abel Roman, fired at each other for nine hours which included dozens of rounds.  In the end, Roman was found dead inside a Hall Manor apartment and a police officer was shot in the hand.

The scene is much quieter than just a few hours ago.  Gunfire rang out for almost a nine hour stretch in this section of Hall Manor in Harrisburg.  People around the scene were even evacuated.

The Dauphin County Quick Response Team converged on 15th and Sycamore Streets around 3 p.m. yesterday afternoon.  Police were serving a warrant on 24-year-old Abel Roman from Philadelphia.  He was wanted for an attempted homicide in Philly.

Police tried to bring him into custody and that’s when the battle began.  The suspect and police exchanged gunfire for hours.  Harrisburg Police brought in help from Dauphin, York and Lancaster Counties to assist in the gun battle.

The Dauphin County District Attorney called this “a firefight” at times.  In the process of the fighting, a Harrisburg Police officer was shot in the hand.  Neighbors say the situation was complete chaos.

“Our officers were fired upon multiple times both in the front and the rear, our vehicles were struck, one officer was hit,” said Chief Robert Martin, Susquehanna Twp. Police.

“We’ve had the crisis response team for over 20 years and without a doubt  this is the most shots that have ever been fired at our officers,” said Ed Marsico, Dauphin County District Attorney

after losing contact with the suspect, police entered the home to find Abel Roman dead inside.  It’s unclear if Roman shot himself or if he was hit by a police bullet during the firefight.  Police say he had at least one shotgun and plenty of ammunition.

The investigation is continuing throughout the night to try and piece the events together.  The Dauphin County Criminal Investigation Unit is handling the investigation because it was a police involved shooting.  Police believe that Roman was staying with an acquaintance here in Harrisburg.

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