GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Two Grand Rapids police officers shot a man Thursday night who allegedly charged at them with a knife, leaving him in serious condition, according to preliminary information shared by Police Chief Eric Winstrom.
Officers were called to a domestic incident around 5:30 p.m. on Broadway Avenue near 4th Street.
The man was reportedly armed with a knife inside a house, and individuals living there wanted him out.
Chief Winstrom says at least four officers interacted with the man.
According to a press release from the department, officers negotiated with the man for more than 15 minutes.
Two officers attempted to use tasers after the man came out of the house and charged at one of them with a knife, but the chief says the tasers did not work.
Two officers then fired their weapons, hitting the man multiple times. He was taken to the hospital and is listed in serious condition.
Watch our full report from the scene:
"I was listening to the call live. I heard the officers indicate that there was an individual with a knife. I heard them say something to the extent that the knife is in his pocket and then just moments later shots fired shots fired. So, probably it could've been less than a minute that this whole incident happened," Winstrom said.
The chief says no one else was injured in this incident.
Michigan State Police will investigate.
The two officers who fired their weapons will be placed on administrative leave, which follows department protocol.
All officers involved were equipped with body-worn cameras, which State Police will review during their investigation.
"I know I'm very interested to hear from MSP to get the green light to review the body worn cameras because I think it's going to very clearly tell the whole story," Chief Winstrom said.
Chief Winstrom expressed hope that the man would recover, while acknowledging the seriousness of the situation.
"The preliminary reports are that he charged the officers with a knife. That is a crime. That is unacceptable, but still, you don't know if there's a mental health component involved. You don't know what's going on in this individual's life. So first thing that I know the officers were thinking about, and that I was thinking while driving over here, was I hope that this individual is going to be able to make a recovery," Winstrom said.
The department is requesting anyone who witnessed the incident or has surveillance video to contact authorities, according to Winstrom. Anonymous tips can also be submitted to Silent Observer.
