PLYMOUTH – Following a 13-hour standoff with police Thursday, an armed man who had threatened to kill himself surrendered peacefully.

The Chenango County Sheriff’s Office responded to 911 domestic disturbance call at around 9:15 p.m. Wednesday from a woman claiming her boyfriend held a .22 caliber rifle to his head and was threatening suicide.

“This individual was recently discharged from the military and was having relationship problems with his girlfriend, who suffers from medical issues,” said Chenango County Sheriff Ernest Cutting Jr.

When deputies arrived on the scene, the girlfriend and an unknown number of children left the residence. When police attempted to approach the home to contact the man, he emerged holding the gun to his head.

“Initially the subject had barricaded himself inside his home armed with a .22 caliber rifle and made threatening gestures to approaching officers – he said he’d kill himself if they tried to come inside,” said Undersheriff James Lloyd.

Police said they began negotiations with the man over the telephone, but he then decided to cut off communication.

Deputies stationed themselves outside the home in frigid temperatures and waited for about seven hours. At daybreak, police kicked in the locked front door so they could force the man into talking with negotiators, the sheriff said.