Harper Woods man barricades himself in basement with loaded rifle during mental health crisis: police

HARPER WOODS (WWJ) A mental health crisis led to a man barricading himself in the basement of his Harper Woods home with a loaded rifle, police said.

In a statement, Harper Woods Police said they were dispatched to Woodland at Kelly, in the area of Moross and 8 Mile, on Saturday (8/24) around 6:30 p.m. on the report of a barricaded gunman.

Police said the man, 57, had not taken his medications for “several months” and was “in a mental crisis.”

He barricaded himself in his basement with a loaded rifle, police said.

The wife left the house and called police. The Eastern Wayne County Special Response Team responded to the scene.

“The mentally distressed husband was ordered out of the (house) via loudspeaker and complied,” the statement read.

Police took him into custody “without incident” around 7:45 p.m. He was committed to the hospital for a mental health evaluation.

No one was injured.

Officers discovered the rifle in the basement and seized it.