WAYNE, Mich. – John Zook, 40, who was in the throes of a mental health crisis, called 911 and told police he was suicidal and off his medication.
When Wayne police officers arrived at the Newberry Square Apartments on Tuesday (June 18) afternoon, they went to the third-floor apartment.
They say John Zook was unraveling and was covered in blood while his 4-year-old son slept in a bedroom.
“Upon arrival, officers encountered the subject inside of his apartment, who was bleeding from some self-inflicted wounds and still armed with the knife,
“The officers did give him several verbal commands and attempted two less-than-lethal taser deployments that were ineffective.
The subject then charged towards the officers, in which one officer responded by firing several shots, which stopped him at the time. The child, who was unharmed, was removed from the apartment and turned over to his mother shortly thereafter.”
Wayne police Deputy Chief Finley Carter
Officers tried to give aid, but Zook was dead.
Michigan State Police, as is protocol, are now handling the investigation.
“I’m really worried about my daughter,” said Brroks Edwards. “She’s going to have to pick up the pieces after the father of her child is gone and Johnny loved his baby.”
Her daughter Destiny was downstairs when police arrived and had no idea what was transpiring as police came to the door of her apartment.
The whole family is just brokenhearted.
Well-known attorney Todd Perkins knew the family and was on hand to offer support and keep an eye on the investigation.
“This is one of those sit actions where is it training that could have resolved this,” Perkins said. “Could this have ended up as a trip to the hospital versus a trip to the morgue?”
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