A Saturday morning incident saw an Imlay City man arrested after repeatedly firing a shotgun in his backyard during a mental health crisis.
It was about 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, December 7, when the man began discharging a loaded shotgun in the backyard of his home in the 400 block of Bancroft Street of Imlay City. Several of his neighbors called 911, with some of the fired rounds striking a neighbor’s home and surrounding property.
Arriving within minutes of the initial calls, an Imlay City Police Officer confronted the man from a safe distance, attempting to de-escalate the situation, but the man paid him no mind. The man, who was possibly under the influence of alcohol, made no attempt to communicate with the officer, firing at least three more rounds. It was when the gun jammed and the man dropped the shotgun did the officer approach and take the man into custody.
The Imlay City officer was later assisted by a Lapeer County Sheriff’s deputy who had his rear window kicked out by the suspect, with an Imlay City car sustaining damage to the rear door initially when the subject was placed in the rear of the patrol car by the officer.
The suspect was arrested for several serious charges including: possession of a firearm while intoxicated, a 93-day misdemeanor; reckless discharge of a firearm with damage to property, a 90-day misdemeanor; destruction of government property- two counts, both felonies.
This is an ongoing open investigation. The suspect will likely undergo some type of a mental health evaluation. The officer and suspect sustained no injuries, and the suspect was taken to The Lapeer County Jail and booked initially on the listed charges.
At the conclusion of the incident which ended in the arrest of the suspect, there was no further danger to the public at large or later in the day, to The Winterfest celebration, and participants.
