Philipsburg Man Dies of Self-Inflicted Injuries After Lengthy Standoff With Police

A man died of self-inflicted injuries after a nearly 12-hour standoff with law enforcement in Philipsburg, state police confirmed on Thursday.

The man barricaded himself inside an apartment on North Second Street at about 12:30 p.m. Wednesday after police arrived to serve a warrant. When the state police Special Emergency Response Team made entry to the residence late Wednesday night, they found the man dead, according to a release.

Police have not publicly identified the individual, but an affidavit filed on Wednesday afternoon indicated that troopers arrived at the apartment to serve a warrant on child sexual abuse charges to Ian M. Stephenson, 54.

Stephenson failed to answer, and when the building’s landlord attempted to open the door with a key, he said “Don’t come in, I’m armed,” according to the affidavit. Troopers continued trying to get him to exit the building, including through text messages, but he responded that he was not coming out.

WJAC reported that police deployed a battering ram and drone among their efforts to get Stephenson to surrender.

East Presqueisle Street was closed between Front and Centre street and Second Street was closed between Beaver and Pine Streets during the incident. The roads were reopened by 12:45 a.m. Thursday, according to Hope Fire Company, which assisted with the closure.