A man experiencing a mental health crisis walked into Warren police headquarters with a large sword and threatened officers and himself before fleeing.
By Susan Smiley Source The Macomb Daily, Mount Clemens, Mich.
A 29-year-old Warren man is receiving a mental health evaluation after entering Warren police headquarters Thursday morning carrying a large sword and allegedly making verbal threats to the front desk officer on duty.
Video footage shows a man entering the lobby of the Warren police station on South Civic Center Boulevard at approximately 7 a.m. on Oct. 12 carrying a large sword. He can be seen positioning the sword against a wall before approaching the front desk and speaking with the officer on duty.
According to Warren police, the man made several statements that included threats to officers and to himself. The front desk officer recognized the man was likely experiencing a mental health crises and summoned other officers for assistance.
The man grabbed the sword and fled the lobby, then ran to his vehicle, which was parked on the street outside of the police station, and fled the area.
Warren officers were able to locate the male a short while later at Dodge Park in Sterling Heights and took him into custody without incident. He was taken to a local hospital where he is to have a mental evaluation.
Warren Police Commissioner William Dwyer said his department has had previous contact with the man related to calls for mental health related calls for service.
“Here again we find ourselves talking about law enforcement having to deal with persons suffering from mental illness,” said Dwyer. “Today shows how there is no routine day for a police officer, whether responding to a call for service, making a traffic stop, or working the front desk.
“Our officers made the right decision and transported this male to an area hospital for a mental health evaluation.”
Dwyer said all Warren police officers are trained to deal with people experiencing mental health crisis and said today’s incident was an example of officers applying their training to a real-world situation.
“Thankfully, this gentleman did not cause any harm to himself or to the officers,” said Dwyer. “Hopefully, this young man gets the help he needs.”
The investigation into this incident remains ongoing.