STERLING HEIGHTS, Mich. (WXYZ) — A Macomb County man is dead after a mental health wellness check turned into a violent confrontation with police and an officer-involved shooting.
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It happened at a Sterling Heights apartment complex on Wednesday.
Residents are still coming to terms with the fact that their neighbor was killed during that encounter with officers.
Police say it appeared the man was having a mental health episode, neighbors say they tried to reach out to him long before this all happened.
"He was very much a loner. I did try to talk to him a couple of times and they were only one-word answers," said Carol Corpus.
Police say it happened in The Preserves community near Dequindre and Utica as officers responded to a welfare check for a man who may have been suicidal.
Lt. Aaron Susalla says that the man was armed with a loaded handgun when officers arrived, and crisis negotiators, trained in mental health response, tried to talk him down.
"The negotiations went for a little over an hour, but ultimately and unfortunately it ended with the individual pointing the weapon at our officers, which they did have to react and shoot to keep themselves and everybody else safe that were on the scene," he said.
Neighbors, one of whom did not want her face shown on camera, describe that scene as sobering and frightening.
"The police came and said we had to hurry up and get out of the house, we were in danger," a neighbor told 7 News Detroit.
The man, whom investigators have yet to identify, died from the gunshot wounds.
Lt. Susalla says that was not the intended outcome.
"We know that mental health is a huge aspect of everyday life in the police world, and it just continues to infiltrate. And the amount of calls we have with mental health issues continue to rise," he said.
Officials say no officers or other people were hurt in the incident.
The investigation into this shooting has been handed over the Macomb County Sheriff's Office.
The officers involved in the shooting and the others who were on the scene have all been placed on administrative leave as the investigation moves forward.
