KNOX — A 38-year-old Knox man killed himself early Sunday morning in the town park.

Lewis E. Tubbs Jr., a county highway worker, died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the chest, according to the Albany County Sheriff’s Department. (Click here for obituary.)

At 2:40 a.m., the sheriff’s department received a 911 call from Tubbs’s parents’ home at 2220 Berne-Altamont Road in Knox about a man armed with a handgun threatening suicide, said Sheriff James Campbell.

Campbell, Lieutenant Michael Monteleone, two deputies, and two State Troopers responded to the scene. Because it was foggy, they had trouble finding Tubbs in the Knox town park, Campbell said.

Negotiations, conducted by Monteleone, lasted 45 minutes. Tubbs had a 40-caliber Beretta semi-automatic pistol, Campbell said.
"He had been partying most of the day, and there was alcohol involvement," Campbell said.

When asked if an event triggered Tubbs’s behavior, Campbell said police will be looking into the circumstances after funeral services have been conducted.

Lewis ignored Monteleone after awhile, and put the gun to his chest and pulled the trigger once, Campbell said.

Lewis was dead on the scene, he said. Emergency Medical Services were called at 3:52 a.m.

A coroner was at the scene, and an autopsy performed by Jeffrey Hubbard on Sunday afternoon at Albany Medical Center Hospital showed Tubbs died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the chest, Campbell said.

Campbell said he made sure the officers at the scene were OK and had acknowledged what had occurred. Campbell added that a deputy may go his whole career without witnessing a suicide. None at the scene requested counseling.

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Editor’s note: Suicide is not uncommon. According to statistics from the World Health Organization for the most recent year available, 2003, in the United States 17.6 per 100,000 males killed themselves and 4.1 per 100,000 females killed themselves.

The Samaritans Suicide Prevention Center in Albany strives to reduce the risk of suicide by befriending people in despair and crisis, and by providing outreach and education. The center provides education on risk factors and warning signs of suicide, and offers support for families and friends of those who have killed themselves. Confidential and compassionate listening support is available on its helpline — 689-HOPE (4673).