Police: Suspect in custody after standoff situation near church at 52nd and Burleigh
Police: Suspect in custody after standoff situation near church at 52nd and Burleigh
Police: Suspect in custody after standoff situation near church at 52nd and Burleigh
MILWAUKEE -- Milwaukee police say a suspect is in custody after a standoff situation near 52nd and Burleigh Sunday, December 20th -- near a Milwaukee church.
Standoff near 52nd and Burleigh
Guns were drawn outside the church after a bizarre chain of events Sunday.
Police say this all began when the suspect rammed a stolen vehicle into a Milwaukee County Transit System bus.
He then stayed in the vehicle -- outside the Good Samaritan Church of God in Christ as police surrounded him.
Thankfully -- no one was hurt.
Police say the man wasn't armed. They say he was experiencing some sort of mental health crisis.
Standoff near 52nd and Burleigh
There were tense moments in the neighborhood Sunday afternoon, as police put up crime tape and established a perimeter.
"We just seen this cop bring out this big old gun. We was like, 'oh wow. What`s going on?'" Ella Rice said.
Standoff near 52nd and Burleigh
Streets were blocked around the Good Samaritan Church of God in Christ as police worked to handle this potentially dangerous situation.
"His behavior was erratic. At times he exhibited behavior that would be indicative of having a weapon," Milwaukee Police Chief Ed Flynn said.
Chief Flynn said the suspect is in his mid-to-late 60s.
The SUV the suspect was driving, reported stolen earlier Sunday, was driven right up to the front door of the church.
Tactical teams were called in.
"We were unable to extract him from the vehicle voluntarily," Chief Flynn said.
Flynn said it was later determined the suspect wasn't armed.
A background check revealed some prior mental health issues, and an incident involving vandalism to a vehicle.
Police say the ramming of the MCTS bus by the suspect in this case happened earlier Sunday, near Sherman and Mill.
"He self-reported to us today that he had lost or mis-laid his meds," Chief Flynn said.
After being parked in front of the church for nearly four hours, crews used tear gas to get the man out.
During this standoff situation, as a precaution, those attending services at the church were kept inside.
"We kept on praying and giving God glory. And we prayed for the man in the vehicle," a parishioner said.
Police said late Sunday afternoon the standoff was over, and the suspect was taken into custody. He was taken to the hospital for an evaluation.
The church's pastor tells FOX6 News this entire ordeal was captured via their surveillance cameras.
FOX6 News reached out to MCTS for comment on this story. An MCTS spokesman declined.
PHOTO GALLERY:
RAW VIDEO: Chief Flynn speaks from scene of standoff situation in Milwaukee
RAW VIDEO: Chief Flynn speaks from scene of standoff situation in Milwaukee
Monitor FOX6 News and FOX6Now.com for updates on this developing story.