Man found dead after shooting at police

NEW HANOVER » A 50-year-old man was found dead Saturday morning inside a house that had been on fire — a fire that started after the man shot at police Friday night, according to police.

New Hanover Police issued a press release that announced Robert Ray Wagner was found hours after he fired on police responding to a report of a domestic disturbance.

It all started around 8 p.m. Friday when police arrived in the 2000 block of Little Road in the township’s Perkiomenville section.

Upon the arrival of the police, Wagner “began firing numerous rounds at the responding officers. The officers took cover and called for additional units,” the release said.

Montgomery County S.W.A.T. evacuated the pinned-down officers and then worked through the night into Saturday morning in an effort to resolve the incident peacefully.

A fire then started around 6 a.m. Saturday at the location which was put out by the New Hanover Volunteer Fire and Rescue Services.

“Upon an inspection of the site, the body of the suspect was located,” according to the release issued by Police Chief Kevin McKeon.

No further information about the cause of death had been issued as of early Sunday morning.

“On behalf of the New Hanover Township Board of Supervisors, we sincerely thank our police officers, our surrounding police departments, Montgomery County S.W.A.T. West and Central teams, our fire company as well as numerous other surrounding fire companies, area fire police, responding ambulance companies,” McKeon said in the press release.

He added, “we also extend our thoughts and prayers to the family, for regardless of the situation, we lost a member of our community this morning.”