Police fatally shoot man armed with knives after standoff in New Castle County, Delaware

Police officers opened fire and killed a man after an hourslong standoff in northern Delaware Tuesday night.

Shortly before 4 p.m., the New Castle County Division of Police was called to a residence on Ramsey Road — near Brandywine Creek and the border with Pennsylvania — for a report of gunshots, police said in a news release.

The person who called police said he was in the home when he heard multiple gunshots and saw his acquaintance — a 35-year-old man identified Thursday as Daniel Shacklett — with a handgun, police said on a post on social media. The person who called fled to safety and called 911. 

When police arrived at the home, they heard gunshots coming from inside. Police formed a perimeter around the area, and the shooter fired in their direction, according to police. 

The police department's crisis management group, which includes members of the SWAT team and crisis negotiations team, responded to the scene as well. They attempted to resolve the situation with phone calls, text messages and a loudspeaker but were met with more gunfire, according to police. 

Shacklett came out of the house just before 8 p.m. and allegedly swung a shovel at police, who used a Taser and other non-lethal methods to attempt to get him under control. Shacklett then went inside the house and came back with knives, according to police. He ignored officers' commands and started advancing toward police. At that time, several officers fired their guns, striking the man, police said. 

Paramedics at the scene provided medical care for the man, but Shacklett was pronounced dead at the scene, according to police. No one else was injured. 

NCCDP will conduct an internal investigation into the shooting in coordination with the Delaware Department of Justice Division of Civil Rights and Public Trust.

All of the officers involved have been placed on administrative leave in accordance with the department's policy.