Man locks himself in Ann Arbor home for more than four hours
A man threatened to harm himself and locked himself inside an Ann Arbor home Wednesday night for four-and-a-half hours until police convinced him to step outside, Ann Arbor police said this morning.
The man was taken to a hospital for evaluation at midnight after the incident in the 3100 block of Lakewood Drive, police spokeswoman Lt. Renee Bush said.
No one was injured. Bush declined to say whether police had any reason to believe the man had a weapon. She said no officers were in danger, no threats were made against anyone else and no one else was inside.
Officers responded at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday after they received a report that the man was threatening to harm himself, she said. A SWAT team was called and police spoke with the man on the phone, ultimately convincing him to step out the front door, Bush said.
Officers then helped him to an ambulance for treatment. Bush said police did not have to use any force.
Officers told residents to stay inside as they handled the situation.
Lee Higgins covers crime and courts for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached by phone at (734) 623-2527 and email at leehiggins@annarbor.com.
Comments
Alan Goldsmith
Fri, Feb 3, 2012 : 3:13 p.m.
A TANK was involved in this this incident and NOT in this story? Good grief. This is journalism that happens when you don't do any reporting and just call up or email a police spokesperson for your leg work. Sad.
Foote
Fri, Feb 3, 2012 : 12:24 a.m.
Yes - glad that the Ann Arbor police, firefighters, Huron Valley Ambulance and others were able to respond to this. For perspective here are a few facts... just prior to the despondent man coming outside, there were 7 police cars, several ambulances, two bus sized crisis response team vehicles, a couple of firetrucks, and literally dozens of personnel on hand (oh yeah and a tank .... oh excuse me an APC). That was extremely worrisome for people that live nearby, People threaten to kill themselves all the time... and a measured response is appropriate. Consider the scenario whereby someone is planning to die using the suicide by cop method <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suicide_by_cop" rel='nofollow'>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suicide_by_cop</a>. If you are the cop you want to find a strategy that lessons the chances of that. Thinking that through you can see why the armored vehicle. Congrats to those that worked on this case (which for the time being has a successful outcome). From my perspective many of the rest of the personnel and equipment there were counterproductive. I suppose any time an armored vehicle is employed there is a protocol that requires available resources to be present. This is what happens when cities accept homeland security funds...
Jasmine B
Thu, Feb 2, 2012 : 8:47 p.m.
I live just down the street from what was happening. At the time I had not a clue what was going on! I just thought it was cool and scary at the same time. When I asked a police officer what the heck was going on, he just told me there was a "situation" going on. CRAZY!
YFNL
Thu, Feb 2, 2012 : 8:39 p.m.
I think whatever threats were made by this gentleman were more serious than this article is indicating. I live in the neighborhood, on the street where this happened, and it was fairly scary to come home to the whole street surrounded by cop cars and not be allowed access to my home or my family. We don't have a landline to receive the automated call the police department sent out telling people not to go outside or drive their vehicles in the neighborhood and my husband who was home with our kids only found out what was going on when he went outside to get firewood and saw four armed SWAT members running down the sidewalk in front of our house.
RJA
Thu, Feb 2, 2012 : 7:01 p.m.
I don't think this is funny at all. If a family member or friend had intentions of harming himself, and locked himself is his home, I would be very concerned and certainly would call 911 or who ever else needed. Glad to hear force was not needed, and officers got him into an ambulance. I look at this as a possible life saved!
steve h
Thu, Feb 2, 2012 : 7:45 p.m.
God bless the ambulance drivers
BornNRaised
Thu, Feb 2, 2012 : 6:49 p.m.
This city really cracks me up. I'm always amazed at how many self proclaimed experts there are on this blog. Doesn't matter the subject, everyone knows better. "SWAT? A tank? Ridiculous." Written by the same people that hide from the reality of life behind a computer screen and keyboard. The next time a real life situation is happening, why don't you volunteer yourself to go knock on the front door of an individual like this w/o any protection? It's always easier to be an armchair quarter back. God knows, there are plenty here. The situation was resolved peacefully. No one harmed. Maybe, I don't know, just maybe it's because law enforcement has tons of case history on these situations, studies them, and creates and plan ahead of time based on years of experience pulling from all department across the country. Or maybe they should just ask the AA bloggers to go take care of it.
ranger007
Thu, Feb 2, 2012 : 7:51 p.m.
I agree with you
jcj
Thu, Feb 2, 2012 : 5:48 p.m.
Obviously they had reason to believe this could be more than it was! And I don't think we need to know what that reason was. The problem is many of you think you have a right to know ALL the details. Not So!
Theresa Taylor
Thu, Feb 2, 2012 : 5:35 p.m.
I have a REALLY hard time with this story. I live in Lakewood and watched A2 SWAT team set up a camp on Gralake and then a SWAT TANK (yes, A TANK!!!) come through our subdivision at about 10-10:30 p.m. I don't buy any of this.
steve h
Thu, Feb 2, 2012 : 10:14 p.m.
Not all apc's have treads bear. Just sayin. I watch mail call
steve h
Thu, Feb 2, 2012 : 10:12 p.m.
You are so smart bear
Bear
Thu, Feb 2, 2012 : 9:55 p.m.
YFNL, it is called, by nomenclature, an APC, Armored Personnel Carrier. Tank is about the only thing that people who aren't familiar with military vehicles would call it because it has treads and is armored. Although an APC has aluminum armor and weighs in at about 12 tons and carries up to 13 people including 2 crew.
Bear
Thu, Feb 2, 2012 : 9:50 p.m.
Actually, Steve, it was an APC, Armored Personnel Carrier and yes, they have treads. Otherwise it would've been perhaps what you are probably thinking of which is a Stryker Armored Vehicle.
YFNL
Thu, Feb 2, 2012 : 8:33 p.m.
When I called the non-emergency police number to about the status of the situation because I was not allowed to return to my home (right across the street from the incident), the woman who answered did indeed confirm that a tank had been sent in. Maybe that is what they call an armored personnel carrier at the police department.
steve h
Thu, Feb 2, 2012 : 7:42 p.m.
I don't think it was a tank. Tanks have treads, a large cannon and would probably tear up your street. It was more likely a wheeled armored personnel carrier. Please don't cause hysteria. The freaks in this town will claim the black helicopters are on the way.
annarbor28
Thu, Feb 2, 2012 : 5:30 p.m.
This headline is so funny. And to think I almost forever signed off of annarbor.com. Thanks for making me laugh!
smokeblwr
Thu, Feb 2, 2012 : 4:31 p.m.
I once locked myself OUT of my house for four and half hours. Nobody did me the courtesy of calling the SWAT team to help open my door.
SMC
Thu, Feb 2, 2012 : 5:15 p.m.
I'm pretty certain that you wouldn't want a locksmith using SWAT's methods to gain entry to your home.
ArgoC
Thu, Feb 2, 2012 : 4:30 p.m.
Poor dude. One of his so-called friends or relatives decided to blow his private life wide open. Who hasn't done something similar in their life, especially in their early years? I would hope AnnArbor.com determined that what was happening was actually newsworthy, in a grownup kind of way. Reminds me of newspapers a century ago when "so-and-so's out-of-town sister is visiting for the week" was on the front page.
jcj
Thu, Feb 2, 2012 : 5:45 p.m.
IF you lived in that area you would be happy for an explanation!
stevek
Thu, Feb 2, 2012 : 4:17 p.m.
Maybe he lost his keys and couldn't get out
Boggs
Thu, Feb 2, 2012 : 3:53 p.m.
Somehow no mention of the fact that they called in a tank. Seriously... a tank!
TinyArtist
Fri, Feb 3, 2012 : 2:32 p.m.
Could have been one of those new mobile drunk tanks in case the incident was alcohol related.
BornNRaised
Fri, Feb 3, 2012 : 10:40 a.m.
But, like, oh my god... what if a blade of grass was harmed during this incident!?!?!?!?! Gotta love A2.
nowayjose
Fri, Feb 3, 2012 : 2:09 a.m.
Not to mention a whole dollar of your tax money was used to buy it from the government as surplus. Check with washtenaw county it's their vehicle
nowayjose
Fri, Feb 3, 2012 : 2:08 a.m.
So your only argument is the treads because it is only a armored personnel carrier and doesn't have any guns mounted to it. It's not like they could blow up the neighborhood with it. You obviously are a master of police tactics I'd love to hear how you'd do it
steve h
Thu, Feb 2, 2012 : 11:24 p.m.
Thank you for your insight
steve h
Thu, Feb 2, 2012 : 11:23 p.m.
Bear you are brilliant
Bear
Thu, Feb 2, 2012 : 9:42 p.m.
@bornnraised & nowayjose. Are you guys serious? Protection? That's like using napalm to SWAT a fly. Overkill? Yeah, big time overkill. That's what Amanda is talking about. Surpised none of the "my tax dollars" fanatics are out screaming at this obvious waste of resources. Not to mention the damage that APC treads probably did to the roads. Yeah, lets take exceptionally overwhelming force to the next step. Get into an argument with your spouse and find yourself facing an APC and snipers with a red dot on your forehead. You guys crack me up with your fatuous arguments here. Keep up the good work! I'm momentarily entertained by your inane comments! xo
nowayjose
Thu, Feb 2, 2012 : 6:58 p.m.
Yes how crazy to think the officers would want some form of protection against firearms to get them close to his house.
Amanda Zee
Thu, Feb 2, 2012 : 6:43 p.m.
The tank rolled by our house on Highlake and we were like "WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON?!?!"
leezee
Thu, Feb 2, 2012 : 3:52 p.m.
Sounds like something is missing here. I locked myself in my home last night for more than 8 hours and no one came to get me out.
Scott
Thu, Feb 2, 2012 : 3:47 p.m.
While I am glad that everyone involved is ok, this does sound like a headline from The Onion.
getmoney
Thu, Feb 2, 2012 : 3:27 p.m.
"Man locks himself in Ann Arbor home for more than four hours." Keep the awesome headlines coming! That is why this is my favorite blog!
jeanarrett
Fri, Feb 3, 2012 : 2:05 p.m.
I agree. I was locked inside my house last night for 10 hours. While I was sleeping.
jcj
Thu, Feb 2, 2012 : 5:44 p.m.
If you happened to live in that area you would be glad for an explanation! Don't like it don't read it!
Craig Lounsbury
Thu, Feb 2, 2012 : 3:12 p.m.
"Officers responded at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday after they received a report that the man was threatening to harm himself, she said. A SWAT team was called" I'm curious how the police determine the credibility of a report before sending a swat team?
bhall
Thu, Feb 2, 2012 : 4:36 p.m.
Good question. In the olden days, police would have to send in a carrier pidgeon with paper and crayons for the man to deliver a message and have the man authenticate it. Nowadays they send in a small robot with a camera to check up on him. In the future, police will send in tiny nanoparticles. The man will inhale them, and the particles will broadcast images of all of his bodily functions. Police will know what he's thinking before he's thinking it!