A 44-year-old man was shot and killed by a law-enforcement officer Sunday during a standoff outside his northwest-side home.
The man was identified as James John Runyon.
The Pima County Sheriff's Department went to the home, in the 3200 block of West Calle Fresa, near North Camino de la Tierra and West Orange Grove Road, around 9 a.m. and found Runyon with a firearm outside, said Deputy Jason Ogan, an agency spokesman.
Runyon had made suicidal threats, Ogan said.
The Pima Regional SWAT Team was called and tried to resolve the situation, but Runyon "became an immediate threat to officers on scene," Ogan said. He couldn't specify how Runyon threatened the officers, but said the man did not fire at them.
"Less-than-lethal" force was used before Runyon was shot, Ogan said. Less-than-lethal force could include firing beanbags or rubber bullets at a suspect, but Ogan couldn't go into details about exactly what was used against Runyon.
Runyon suffered a single gunshot wound and was taken to a hospital, where he died, Ogan said.
Though he made suicidal threats, Runyon gave no indication why he wanted to kill himself, Ogan said.
Runyon had a years-long dispute with a neighbor that resulted in more than 200 calls to the police by Runyon and the neighbor during a nearly five-year period that started in 2002, according to Arizona Daily Star archives.
He was convicted in Pima County Justice Court in February 2007 of aggravated harassment, disorderly conduct and interfering with a judicial proceeding, according to Star archives. He was sentenced to probation.
Authorities on Sunday did not release the name of the law enforcement officer who fired the fatal shot. Officials are investigating the shooting, Ogan said.
Contact reporter Andrea Rivera arivera@azstarnet.com or 807-8430.
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