Former Member of Possessed, a Pioneering Death Metal Band, Is Killed in Shootout with Police

• Brian Montana was killed in a standoff with police in South San Francisco, Calif.
• Montana was an early member of Possessed, a Bay Area metal band that formed in 1982.
• Two officers were placed on paid administrative leave following the shooting

The former guitarist of Possessed, a pioneering death metal band, was fatally shot in a standoff with police.

Brian Montana, 60, was killed by police in South San Francisco, Calif., following a standoff that ensued after he brandished a gun at a neighbor, the South San Francisco Police Department said.

The incident occurred on the evening of April 28. Police said they were called to the scene following a report of a disturbance. Upon arrival, officers discovered that the suspect who had brandished the gun, identified as Montana, had begun firing at his neighbor’s residence.

“Over the next 25 minutes, the suspect armed himself with three different types of firearms (handgun, shotgun and rifle) and fired at officers from different locations within the driveway while seeking cover and concealment using both vehicles in the driveway and landscaping,” police said in a press release. “Officers used police vehicles as cover from the barrage of gunfire and were able to return fire.”

Eventually, police said they struck Montana with gunfire, and he was subsequently found unresponsive. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

A resident of the home at which Montana was shooting was taken to the hospital with a non-life-threatening injury.

Two officers were placed on paid administrative leave, the department said.

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The San Francisco Chronicle reported that Montana was an early member of Possessed, a Bay Area metal band that formed in 1982.

The paper reported that Montana joined in 1983 but left before they recorded their debut album in 1985.

The band posted a message of sympathy to Montana’s family on their Instagram Story.