BROOKLINE, MA — This morning just about 5:18 a.m. someone who was heading down the path that parallel's Pond Street and passes by the Muddy River's Leverett Pond came across a man in his 20's on a bench and called police. Police logged it as a medical emergency, and later tweeted that they were investigating an unattended death at 33 Pond Street.

"It's an unattended death, and there's no risk to the public," Deputy Superintendent Michael Gropman told Patch. By 9 a.m. the scene was mostly cleared and people walking dogs, riding bicycles and running moved around the bench and what appeared to be a crime scene, which was marked with police tape. A police cruiser sat vigil with its lights on and occasionally the officer would ask that folks not try to duck under the tape.

Two women walking by pointed to a pool of blood under the bench. "Do you see the blood?," one said to the other. (( Get Brookline news right in your inbox by signing up for the Brookline Patch Newsletter))

Many people passed by the scene where a man died early Friday morning. Two women noticed a pool of blood and pointed it out. Photo by Jenna Fisher/Patch Police are officially calling it an unattended death of a man who was not from Brookline, stressing that it was an isolated incident and there is no risk to the public. "We don't suspect foul play," said Gropman, and added that as of 10: 38 a.m. the spot had been sanitized and reopened to the public. When asked he did say that a gunshot was reported by someone nearby, though he could not say if the two were related. Police rarely discuss specific cases of suicide publicly. Gropman said he could release no further details until the next of kin were notified.

But the incident appears to be a suicide by shooting. And it comes at a time when the Brookline Police department are stepping up efforts to handle issues related to people in crisis.

"We began a critical incident team about two years ago. The number of people who are seen by the team is significant," said Gropman in a separate interview.

The Brookline police frequently receive phone calls from people concerned about loved ones threatening to commit suicide. Yesterday, at least two separate calls came into the station regarding just that. In one case a woman was taken to the hospital. Such calls happen more often than one might realize. Earlier this year, several officers were recognized for their work talking down people who were threatening to kill themselves.