Auburn, N.Y. — The man who died during a confrontation with Auburn police on Thursday shot himself in the head and was a suspect in a child exploitation investigation, police said Friday.
The man was identified as Scott R. Demonte, 51, of Fayetteville, by Police Chief James Slayton during a Friday afternoon news conference.
Officers responded to 20 Thorton Ave. in the Melone Village housing complex at around 7:42 p.m. Thursday and encountered Demonte, who had a gun, Slayton said.
He pointed the gun at officers before he turned the gun on himself and shot himself, he said. Officers fired one shot but it did not hit the man, he said.
The situation unfolded “very quickly,” said Cayuga County Sheriff Brian Schenck.
Schenck declined to comment about whether a child was present for the incident.
The incident happened outside the home and the man was taken to a hospital, Schenck said.
Video of the incident is being reviewed by multiple agencies, authorities said.
Another suspect was taken into custody but authorities would not give details on who the second suspect is or what they were charged with.
Wilver Laparra-Gonzalez, 34, of Auburn, was arrested at 20 Thornton Ave that same evening. Laparra-Gonzalez paid an undercover officer $80 to have sexual conduct with who he thought was a 14-year-old girl, officers said in a criminal complaint. Laparra-Gonzalez was charged with second-degree rape and second-degree criminal sex act.
The news conference tried to clear up the confusion caused by the sheriff’s department’s limited release of vague information. For 18 hours, the sheriff would only say the death came during an “officer-involved shooting.”
Typically, officer-involved shootings refer to situations where officers have shot and killed someone.
The shooting is being investigated by the Cayuga County Sheriff’s Office.
The Attorney General’s Office was conducting a preliminary assessment of the matter, a spokesperson said.
Melone Village is a subsidized housing project operated by the Auburn Housing Authority. On Friday morning notes from the Auburn Housing Authority were left on doors referring residents to Cayuga County Mental Health and Cayuga Counseling, “due to the nature of last evening’s events.”
Staff writer Timia Cobb covers breaking news. Have a tip, a story idea, a question or a comment? You can reach her at tcobb@syracuse.com.