It was like a scene from a movie. A gunman behind a barricade, the street crawling with police, roads closed to civilians, a terrified hostage….. But this was no movie. And unlike what would have been the Hollywood finale to this scary scene, the situation has since been resolved without anyone getting shot or blown up. But someone is very likely to spend a good deal of time behind bars as a result.
The Macomb County gunman, a 42-year-old man from St. Clair Shores was arrested by police after an eight hour standoff, during which time he frequently refused contact with police negotiators, and refused to come out of his house.
But it looks like that may only be the tip of the iceberg with regard to this man’s problems. In addition to the armed standoff, the man is apparently wanted on several other warrants, is under investigation for embezzlement, and also alleged to have assaulted a woman, which was the event that supposedly led to the standoff in the first place.
Police attempt to communicate with the alleged gunman
According to police records, officers were originally called to the scene when a woman alerted them that she had received a text from a friend claiming to be held hostage in her own home. Officers converged on 10 mile road, shutting it off to traffic, and began attempts to communicate with the alleged gunman.
The man in question had loaned some money to a 19-year-old woman he had met on facebook and developed a friendship with. She apparently needed the money to have some work done on her car, but when the two got into an argument, the man demanded his money back and the woman refused to pay him.
This led to a fight during which time he allegedly hit her in the face, and kicked her. The woman later escaped from the house, along with another man from Detroit, while the gunman was distracted.
The Macomb County gunman finally surrendered to police in the afternoon, and was taken into custody. He is being charged with aggravated assault, interfering with a crime report, and resisting police officers. However, he does have two other outstanding warrants against him in St. Clair Shores for domestic violence and fleeing and eluding police, along with a third warrant from Shelby Township for assault.
According to Macomb County Circuit Court records, the suspect also has prior convictions for retail fraud and possession of controlled substances, which is a drug charge. The suspect was arraigned on Tuesday morning in the Macomb County District Court, but no new information has been released regarding the charges he is facing.