An 84-year-old man was taken into custody Friday night after police spent roughly seven hours responding to a barricaded situation at a Southfield home.
The incident unfolded near Winchester Street and Lahser Road, where Southfield police responded after the man reportedly fired several shots inside the residence and refused to leave, according to police.
Police Chief Elvin Barren said officers believed the man may have been experiencing a mental health crisis during the standoff. However, family members later offered a different possibility, telling the chief that the man’s condition may have been affected by medication.
The situation ended after 10 p.m., when the man agreed to place his handgun on a bed and come outside. Police then took him to a hospital for evaluation.
Family Members Escaped Safely
Police said the man’s wife and caretaker had been inside the home earlier in the incident but were able to get out safely. No injuries were reported.
Officers spent hours communicating with the man while working to resolve the situation without anyone being hurt.
At one point, police sent a drone into the residence to assess the situation. According to Barren, the man threw a sheet over the drone.
Barren also said a firearm was accidentally discharged inside the home and struck a door. Investigators did not believe the gunfire was an attempt to target officers.
Two Firearms Found Inside Home
Police said the man had a handgun, which he eventually surrendered before leaving the house. A shotgun was also found on a dresser inside the residence.
Barren said he was considering seeking a protective order that could prevent the man from accessing the firearms in the future.
The decision comes as police examine the circumstances that led to the standoff and work to prevent another potentially dangerous confrontation.
A nearby resident, Carin Poole, told that a neighbor had experienced another barricaded situation at the location about five years ago. That earlier incident ended tragically, according to Poole.
The latest standoff ended without reported injuries after officers and the man reached an agreement for him to leave the home.
Police have not indicated that anyone else was injured during the incident. The investigation and evaluation of the circumstances surrounding the man’s actions remain ongoing.
