Barricaded gunman arrested after standoff in Taylor

TAYLOR, Mich. (FOX 2) - Swat teams, multiple command centers and a downriver tactical team were all on scene at an apartment inside The Heritage Glen Townhouses in Taylor Monday evening. 

Police were tracking a suspect wanted for murder in Detroit. Once they found him, they got the two women and children who were inside the unit out safely. 

“They told them to come out and walk backwards with their hands up,” said Andre Ross, a neighbor. 

Police then focused their attention on the 37-year-old who hunkered down allegedly with a gun. The man was wanted for a murder that happened back on May 27th on Dexter Street in Detroit. 

Police say on that day, the man shot and killed his own brother in law. 

“We tried to compel a subject to know there is a whole court system to go through. This is not the end of the line,” said Commander Darin Szilagy of the Detroit Police Department. 

People in neighboring apartments were asked to shelter in place, which resulted in one mom being separated from her kids.

“Thank God my son has a cellphone and then I was calling my cousin to check on them, but they wouldn’t come back to the house and they wouldn’t let us leave the house. It was crazy,” the mother said. 

Two hours into negotiations, police deployed tear gas.

“At that point my officers could see out suspect inside, began negotiating a little bit and flames erupted in the back and our suspect ran out the back and was taken into custody unharmed,” said Commander Szilagy. 

And while that was happening, police were also making sure neighbors were safe. 

“We broke cover and pulled out a dozen people including elderly, handicapped and children and we got them to safety,” Commander Szilagy said. 

Arson investigators are now working to see how the fire started.