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Man charged in friendly-fire police standoff

BALDWIN, Pa. (AP) — Police have charged a suicidal Pittsburgh-area man with endangering people and illegal possession of a firearm in a standoff in which a police officer was wounded by friendly fire.

Channel 11's news exchange partners at TribLIVE reported that 30-year-old Bryan Lijewski, of Baldwin, is expected to surrender on Wednesday to Baldwin Borough police.

Baldwin police Sgt. Ralph Miller, 54, was wounded in the back when he and three other officers went to Lijewski's home about 3:45 a.m. Feb. 10.

Police responded even after a woman called back to say Lijewski had unloaded the weapon and police were no longer needed.

An officer who police won't identify fired his rifle twice—though police aren't sure how or why—when Lijewski answered the door but refused to show police both of his hands.

"I can tell you right now it was not our client’s intention at any time to have anyone hurt in this situation, but unfortunately when you call the police to your residence in a domestic, whatever follows someone could be culpable for it,” defense attorney Phil DiLucente said.

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