GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — The Grand Rapids Police Department says a man barricaded himself inside a home after officers responded to a domestic assault situation.
According to GRPD, the man came out of the home at 6:15 p.m. and surrendered peacefully.
GRPD got to the 700 block of Lafayette Avenue NE just after 1 p.m. Wednesday.
"I just saw a lot of police officers over there and SWAT teams right in the house most of the day," Brandy Zimmer, a witness, recalled.
Family members told officers that the suspect, a 34-year-old man, was in the home and refusing to come out. They also warned officers that he may give them some issues.
GRPD says the man is wanted for a felony warrant but will not go into further detail about what the warrant is for.
“Not only is it a domestic but he’s also wanted,” GRPD Captain Michael Maycroft explained. “This isn’t something we just walk away from."
There was no one else in the home at the time of the standoff and it was not a hostage situation.
GRPD, along with the Kent County Sheriff's Office and Michigan State Police, created a perimeter around the home and closed off part of the street. Officers helped evacuate any neighbors who wanted to leave and told the rest to shelter in place.
"I was wondering what the guy actually did because we were like, 'Did he hurt someone?'" Makhailla Flippo, a witness, told FOX 17. "They eventually went in with tear gas masks, and they're in the back doing flash bangs and they finally caught them."
It's not clear if the suspect was armed at any point throughout the standoff.
Captain Maycroft says mental health co-response social workers and GRPD negotiators were on scene.
“I want to commend all the officers and personnel who responded, but especially highlight the importance of having the Kent County Drone Team available," says Captain Maycroft. "Their drones provided critical information on the movement and location of the suspect, allowing a tactical advantage for our patrol and Special Response Team officers. This also allowed us to monitor the overall scene security and keep others in the area from unnecessary danger.”
GRPD says the man is in police custody. He was taken for a medical evaluation before being lodged at the Kent County Jail.
Police have not released the man's name.
