LISBON – A man shot himself in the head with a 20-gauge shotgun after police who were investigating reports he was carrying a rifle in town followed him into the woods.

Officials said they were trying to arrest the man around 4 p.m. Thursday when he and a friend ran into a heavily wooded area near Lisbon.

The 22-year-old man, who police have not yet identified, shot himself before officers could move in, Lisbon Police Chief David Brooks said. He was taken to Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston, where he was pronounced dead.

The man shot himself in view of his friend, as well as several police officers involved in the chase. He had recently purchased the shotgun and had been living in Auburn. His death was considered a suicide and was under investigation.