Cumberland Township man involved in May standoff died of natural causes
An autopsy performed on the man who held police at bay for nearly 12 hours while holed up in his Cumberland Township mobile home in late May determined that he died of natural causes following the standoff.
Jeffry Christopher died of morbid obesity and cardiovascular problems on May 25 after the lengthy standoff at his home at 76 Route 88 Mobile Home Park, Greene County Coroner Gene Rush said Wednesday.
Rush said Christopher, 59, also suffered from COPD and other health problems, which were noted in the autopsy report but were not considered contributing factors in his death.
The forensic services company operated by famed pathologist Dr. Cyril Wecht performed the autopsy May 28, and the report was returned to Rush earlier this month.
Rush declined to say whether the autopsy revealed if Christopher suffered any injuries during the standoff, and directed questions about the incident to state police, which is handling the investigation.
“We turned all of our reports over to them,” Rush said. “Any injuries concerning that confrontation will have to come from them.”
Cumberland Township police were called to Christopher’s home in the evening of May 24 after his daughter reported he was suffering from mental health issues.
Investigators said Christopher fired two gunshots in the direction of officers, prompting them to contact the state police’s specialized response team. After several hours, troopers used an armored vehicle to punch holes in Christopher’s mobile home and used tear gas in an attempt to get him to leave.
Troopers eventually removed him from the house, but he died in the back of an ambulance while being transported to a local hospital. He was later pronounced dead at WHS-Greene hospital near Waynesburg.