DETROIT – A man who was chasing children with a knife led to a standoff situation on Detroit’s west side.
Update: Knife-wielding man taken to hospital after chasing children, causing standoff in Detroit
The incident occurred on Thursday (July 17) at 1:30 p.m. when Detroit police Deputy Chief Arnold Williams of Eastern Operations said officers arrived alongside their mental health team.
“Our officers arrived on scene along with our mental health team,” Williams said. “We tried to get the individual to surrender peacefully. We recovered two knives from him, but he refused to come off the porch.”
Williams said officers deployed less-lethal options, including tear gas, pepper balls, and rubber projectiles, but none persuaded the man to surrender.
“We declared this a barricaded gunman situation,” Williams said. “We had to take him into protective custody because he posed a threat to the neighborhood.”
Police said the man, described as about 6 feet tall, 200 pounds, and Black, is known to have a mental health disorder and has been involved in similar incidents before.
“He is definitely in crisis right now,” Williams said. “We are working to bring this to a peaceful resolution. He is still inside the house, and we will remain on scene until we can safely take him into custody.”
Officers know the man has access to more knives inside the house, but are unsure if other weapons are present.
“This is a serious situation,” Williams said. “We cannot let it escalate further because the next call could be very dangerous.”
