Fall River Police Standoff Death Ruled Suicide

FALL RIVER (WBSM) — The Bristol County District Attorney’s Office announced today that the man who died from a gunshot wound in a standoff with Fall River Police this past July inflicted the injury on himself.

According to D.A. Thomas M. Quinn III, the Massachusetts Office of the Chief Medical Examiner recently determined that Domonick Knight, 38, died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, and his death has been ruled a suicide.

Standoff Begins at Langley Street Residence

On July 15, 2025, Fall River Police were dispatched to 117 Langley Street in Fall River for reports from concerned family members of a suicidal man, later identified as Knight, with a firearm making statements about self-harm.

Police and Negotiators Attempt Communication

Police evacuated the home and at 2:25 a.m., a trained crisis negotiator arrived and tried multiple times to communicate with Knight using phone calls, text messages and a loudspeaker.

At 2:42 a.m., the decision was made to breach the front entry and enter the home. Police did so at 3:15 a.m., and according to police, “movement was immediately observed at the top of the staircase, directly in front of the entryway.”

Exchange of Gunfire During Entry

“While ESU officers stood in the doorway, the male fired upon them from the top of the stairs,” police said. “Officers returned fire while repositioning away from the entryway. Communication efforts continued both prior to and following the exchange of gunfire.” The exchange was captured on police body-worn camera footage.

Knight was located on the second-floor landing with two firearms in close proximity to his body. He had suffered a gunshot wound and was pronounced deceased at a local hospital.

What the Investigation Revealed

The D.A.’s Office said that the subsequent investigation determined that Knight was the first to fire a weapon, shooting at police as they entered the residence before turning a firearm on himself.

The D.A.’s Office said the investigation is ongoing, but that no further information is available at this time.

States Ranked by Gun Death Rates

Gun death rates per 100,000 are high in the U.S., and getting higher. Here's a list of states ranked by firearm safety, from lowest death rates to highest. Data for 2021 is from the CDC via Violence Policy Center.

Gallery Credit: Kate Robinson