Coroner: Man takes own life in standoff with police at Hempfield mobile home park

A man who was barricaded in a Hempfield mobile home park died by suicide Monday night, officials said, following a standoff with state police that left the community paralyzed for much of the day.

Westmoreland County Coroner Tim Carson identified the man as Gerald A. Long Jr., 54, and said he was pronounced dead at 8:55 p.m. at his mobile home in Hilltop Estates. He ruled the death a suicide and said an autopsy will be performed on Tuesday.

Trooper Steve Limani said the situation unfolded on Wencliff Lane. Residents in that area were asked to shelter in place. The state police Special Emergency Response Team was joined by members of Pittsburgh Police SWAT and the State Attorney General’s office.

The situation started before 10 a.m., and armored vehicles arrived at the scene throughout the day. Penn Adamsburg Road remained closed at 4:30 p.m. in Adamsburg and other areas, forcing many motorists to find detours. Residents of the road and mobile home park who weren’t home at the time had to wait it out.

Greg Lorince estimated there are 75 mobile homes in the park where he lives on Storm Lane. He was leaving for breakfast when he saw police cars in the community. By the time he got back, the road was shut down. Lorince waited in his SUV on Main Street in Adamsburg for awhile.

Another resident who didn’t want to be identified said he was outside his home as the situation was unfolding and he was told to leave.

We have a police incident on Wencliff Lane in Hill Top Estates. It is contained to that area.

Disregard the alert recently sent out to Westmoreland County stating shelter in place.

— Troopers Steve Limani & Cliff Greenfield (@PSPTroopAPIO) January16, 2023

The situation prompted some confusion as emergency shelter in place messages were sent to more smartphones than intended, according to Roland “Bud” Mertz, director of Westmoreland County Department of Public Safety. State police requested they send emergency messages to people in the mobile home park and surrounding area, warning them of the potential danger.

When department staff wants to send out an emergency message through the Code Red system, they select an area on a map intending that only people in that area will receive a smartphone notification, he said.

“For whatever reason, the system didn’t work that way,” he said.

Mertz was communicating with the Code Red vendor to determine what caused the issue and how to fix it so it doesn’t happen again.

“We purchased this system for the very idea that we want to be able to notify people who are in harm’s way,” he said.

The department was working with state police to clarify that the message pertained only to those in the mobile home park area. Mertz said the system has been in place for six to seven years and department staff uses it regularly with no problems.