A Royal Oak man is in jail after a seven-hour stand off with police. Investigators say he attacked his girlfriend and threatened his 10-year-old son.
Royal Oak Police Chief Corey O’Donohue tells us it began around 10:30 Sunday night in the 900 block of Connecticut, near Gardenia and Campbell.
He says they were called to the home by the girlfriend of the suspect.
"He assaulted her and she ran to her car and secured herself in her car. He had a tool and was attempting to pry into her car when we got the call," O'Donohue said.
O'Donohue says the girlfriend was able to get away, but when they arrived, the man was hiding inside his home with his child. Also inside the house was an assortment of weapons including swords and a handgun.
"That was our main concern, we had to get that child to safety and the officers put themselves in significant risk going into the home, getting that child out," he added.
That child was safely rescued. The chief says the suspect has a criminal history including a felony conviction; their strategy was to wait him out.
"This individual was hiding in the house, we knew he was armed, there was no sense in searching for him at that point," O'Donohue said.
Neighbors were told to stay in their homes as police called in the Oakland County Special Response Team.
"There were cops everywhere, the police were everywhere,” said Jeff Hagen who was visiting family a few doors down the street.
SRT began shooting tear gas into the home through windows around 4 a.m. Monday.
“By our count there was probably about 30 cans that they fired in there,” said Hagen.
Seven hours after the initial 911 call, the suspect walked out his front door and surrendered to police.
"You don't know what's going to happen, you really kind of fear for the worse, but I'm glad that is was resolved,” said Hagan.
The suspect is expected to face a judge sometime Tuesday, where we'll learn his name.
Investigators are still working to determine what he will be charged with, we're told at minimum he is facing a misdemeanor for domestic assault.
