Man Killed Self as Police Tried to Serve Warrant: Police Chief

A Nazareth man killed himself Monday night as police were approaching him with a warrant, Police Chief Thomas Trachta said Tuesday afternoon.

The man, who has not been identified, was visiting his cousin in a second-floor apartment in a house on S. Main Street next to the American Hotel Monday night when authorities arrived with an arrest warrant, Trachta said.

"Police were there with a felony warrant," Trachta said. "They saw the individual, but by the time they got into the house, they heard a gunshot."

Trachta said police from Nazareth and surrounding areas found the man deceased on the floor.

He said that no shots were fired by police.

"There is no alarm for the community," the chief said. "This is an ongoing investigation."

Trachta said the investigation is continuing as authorities try "to piece together" the case and notify next of kin.

Northampton County Coroner Zach Lysek was on the scene Monday night but had not identified the deceased as of Tuesday afternoon.

Trachta said that the man lived elsewhere in Nazareth and was visiting. "It wasn't his house. We responded to execute a warrant."

Police had roped off an area around the two-apartment house in the 200 block of S. Main Street near Prospect Street.

On the scene were Tatamy, Stockertown and Nazareth police, the Northampton County Sheriff's Department, two Nazareth ambulance trucks and the Pennsylvania special fire police.