By BOB OLIVER
Times-Herald Newspapers
DEARBORN — An armed man was captured by police after breaking into the Police Department vehicle lot about 7 p.m. Sept. 7.
A witness told police that he observed the man looking through the gate of the lot before circling the property in his car. The lot is connected to the police station on the west side of the building and is locked unless police vehicles are entering or exiting.
The witness said that he observed the man circling the lot and returning to the gate. The man then parked his vehicle and opened his trunk, pulling out a long object before approaching the fence and crawling under it.
The witness then called 911.
Officers responded to the area and located the man under a police vehicle with the package nearby. They apprehended the man without incident.
They then searched the package, which was a Winchester .30-30-caliber rifle concealed in a green shirt. The rifle was loaded.
The man, a 50-year-old Inkster resident, was arrested and transported to Oakwood Hospital and Medical Center for psychiatric evaluation.
“Officers responded immediately upon receiving the call and they quickly took control of the situation,” Police Chief Ronald Haddad said.
Haddad praised the officers for their handling of the situation.
“I’m very proud of the officers for their quick response and also for their restraint once at the scene,” Haddad said. “They brought a peaceful resolution to this incident without injury to themselves or the suspect.”
He added that the alert response by the 911 caller was important in the capturing of the man.
“The citizen who called 911 observed the actions of the suspect and saw that he was troubled and up to no good,” Haddad said. “He quickly responded by informing authorities and they were quick to react. By getting involved, the citizen helped avert a tragedy.”
Haddad said that the man has been “reasonably cooperative” since his arrest and that the department is still investigating to determine the motive for the break-in. He added that the department has been reviewing security footage taken from the lot in their investigation.
(Bob Oliver can be reached at [email protected].)