Standoff in Forsyth
Standoff in Forsyth
| Above, the trailer where a man allegedly barricaded himself during an armed standoff with police early this morning. At right, Tim Rector, acting chief of the Forsyth Township Police Department, discusses details of the standoff shortly after the arrest was made. (Journal photos by Christopher Diem) |
By CHRISTOPHER DIEM Journal Staff Writer
GWINN — A standoff between police and a man who barricaded himself in his home on M-35 in Forsyth Township ended this morning when the man surrendered without incident.
According to Tim Rector, acting chief of the Forsyth Township Police Department, the man was driving a vehicle with two passengers about midnight Sunday when he lost control of the vehicle and hit a utility pole near Mike’s Auto Center in Forsyth Township. Troopers from the Michigan State Police post at Sawyer approached the scene of the accident, and a male passenger fled.
“He was pursued by state police, caught, and he had several (outstanding) warrants for his arrest,” Rector said.
According to police, the male driver and his female passenger walked back to the residence on M-35. When police approached them at the residence, the man ran into the house and came back out with a gun.
“He ordered (the police) off his property,” Rector said.
The female passenger was taken away safely when the man first went into the house. However, there were two children, ages 13 and 7, in the house when the man barricaded himself inside and refused to surrender to police, Rector said.
“He came out with one of the children in front of him and he ... was ranting and raving and wanted everyone off his property,” Rector said.
The troopers called for backup and M-35 was closed to traffic around 2:30 a.m. Police eventually made contact with the man via mobile phone, Rector said, and he was convinced to release the children shortly before surrendering to police about 7:30 a.m., Rector said.
The man, whose name was not released this morning, was transported to Marquette General Hospital for evaluation.
There were no injuries and the incident is still under investigation.
Assisting at the scene were the Marquette County Sheriff’s Department, Marquette City Police Department and the Michigan Department of Transportation.
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