November 12th, 2018 by WCBC Radio
.The Cumberland Times News reports a Keyser man took his own life just before dawn Monday following a 1 1/2-hour standoff with police in a residential area of the city adjacent to the Potomac State College campus. Keyser Police Chief Thomas Golden said 48-year-old Benny Condron died of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound inside his apartment at 130 Spring St. — after ignoring repeated police commands directing him to drop his firearms, place his hands in the air and surrender. The Times News article notes that at least 20 shots were fired by Condron during the incident but no officers were struck. One round reportedly struck a Keyser Police K-9 vehicle occupied by canine Tattle, who was not injured. The incident ended at 6:43 a.m. when police entered the residence and found Condron dead. It was 90 minutes earlier when two Keyser Police officers and a Mineral County sheriff's deputy responded to numerous citizen calls reporting shots fired in the area of Spring Street and Fort Avenue. Officers quickly made contact with Condron, shouting to him to drop his weapons and surrender as he walked in and out of his apartment. The suspect reportedly told police during the standoff that he was not going to comply with their orders. Golden said at least 21 empty shell casings were recovered at the scene along with a 9 mm semi-automatic handgun and a 12-gauge shotgun during processing of the crime scene by the West Virginia State Police crime lab. No shots were fired by law enforcement officers during the incident that drew about a dozen police units from allied agencies to the scene. The glass of the front door of Condron's apartment, located above Lifestyles Fitness, was also shattered by gunfire during the incident. No residents were evacuated. Potomac State College was placed on lockdown during the incident in which alcohol was said to be a factor. Golden said Condron was known to the Keyser Police Department although there was no recent contact with him. Golden said the investigation determined Condron had suffered from depression issues in the past. Autopsy results are pending from the West Virginia Medical Examiner’s Office. No motive for the incident has been determined. West Virginia State Police, Potomac State College Police and the Allegany County Sheriff’s Office also responded to the scene.
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