The man suspected of gunning down former President George H.W. Bush’s cardiologist committed suicide as police closed in on him Friday morning, police said.

Joseph Pappas shot himself when he was confronted by cops in a southwest Houston neighborhood, according to Click2Houston.

The 65-year-old was wearing a bulletproof vest at the time, according to Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo.

A city employee first spotted Pappas near the Brays Bayou Greenway Trail and approached him but Pappas walked away, Acevedo said. The worker found a wallet that was left behind containing Pappas’ identification.

The employee called police several times to provide updates on Pappas’ location — allowing an officer to move in on him near the intersection of Bob White Drive and Imogene Street.

Pappas refused to show his hands to the officer and killed himself when a second cop arrived.

Acevedo said a shootout would’ve occurred had cops not cornered Pappas.

“Police had indicated that the man had evidently shot himself, that the police evidently were coming up to him and asking him to put his hands up, and he put one arm up and … evidently the man pulled out his gun and shot himself,” said a neighbor who lives in the quiet residential area.

The grim discovery was made a few miles from Westbury, where Pappas lived.

A potential sighting prompted a search late Thursday, with police setting up a perimeter in hopes of catching him, according to ABC 13.

But the sighting turned out to be a false alarm.

Police believe Pappas followed Dr. Mark Hausknecht, who was biking to work, on July 20 before opening fire and killing Bush’s heart doctor.

Pappas was a skilled marksman who competed in shooting contests and worked in law enforcement for years, police said.

He may have held a grudge against Hausknecht — who operated on his mother 20 years ago. She died on the operating table.