Police use Taser to subdue grandfather who stabbed family members, himself

Sterling Heights police used a Taser to subdue a 74-year-old man with dementia who allegedly stabbed his wife and grandson before stabbing himself, said spokesman Capt. Mario Bastianelli.

Bastianelli said police were called to the home on Danforth Drive on Thursday evening. The wife and 20-year-old grandson fled the house after he stabbed them. The wife had injuries around her face and neck, the grandson in the stomach after he tried to intervene in the altercation between the man and his wife. Police found the grandfather in the basement. He had stabbed himself and was armed with the same knife he used on both victims.

All were taken to the hospital in stable condition, and as of Friday afternoon, the grandfather was still hospitalized. The wife received superficial wounds to the face and neck. Police did not identify any of the people involved.

When the grandfather is released, he will be taken to the Macomb County Jail. The case will be presented to Macomb County Prosecutor Peter Lucido for possible charges.

In a statement, Bastianelli said: "The officers that arrived on location did an outstanding job of not only providing medical treatment ... but also deployed less lethal ways to get the guy into custody."

The officer said that often, these kinds of situations can turn deadly. But in this case, the officers "used other tools to keep everybody safe."

More: Dementia crisis hits hard in Michigan: How one group is trying to ease burden

Bastianelli said family members told police the man has dementia.

Contact Jennifer Dixon: jbdixon@freepress.com

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Police use Taser to subdue grandfather who stabbed family members, himself