A heavily armed, 42-year-old man was killed Sunday afternoon after his house exploded during a standoff with SWAT officers in Catawba County.
Officers haven't released the name of the man who died in the explosion and fire, which sent flames 30 feet into the air on Willowbottom Road, south of Hickory.
Sometime around 3 p.m., the man's frightened wife called authorities, saying she thought her husband was going to hurt himself, said Sheriff Coy Reid.
Responding officers called in the SWAT team when they learned the man was heavily armed, said Reid, who also said the man had several weapons inside the house.
For about 20 minutes, SWAT officers surrounded the house and set up a perimeter. No one else was in the house during the standoff.
The man "looked out the window a couple times, and then there's a large explosion," Reid said. Officers heard several other smaller explosions, Reid said, and they could also hear the sounds of rounds of ammunition going off.
About 15 officers were at the scene when the house exploded. No one else was injured.
Officers have not determined what caused the initial explosion. The case is still under investigation. The man's name has not been released, pending family notification.
McClatchy-Tribune News Service
