Barricaded gunman suspect reportedly has dementia, remains hospitalized
AHazel Park man, 81, accused of barricading himself in his housewith a shotgun after demanding to have sex with a roommate in her early 60s, is still hospitalized following his arrest Sept. 19 after a 10-hour standoff with police.
“We were told that he has dementia,” said Hazel Park Police Chief Brian Buchholz on Wednesday. “He doesn’t have a criminal history.”
Police said they are unsure of how long the man will remain hospitalized or when he will be arraigned on a charge in court.
“We have reached out to the Department of Veterans Affairs on what kind of treatment he may need after he gets out of the hospital,” Buchholz said. “If he doesn’t need long-termcare at the hospital, he’ll need care at home, and we’re trying to make that happen.”
The female roommate
called police about 6 a.m. Saturday from the house on West Harry Street.
She told police the man wanted to have sex with her and had a shotgun in his hand.
In a statement that day, Buchholz said theman confronted her with the gun and threatened to kill her.
The woman was able to get out of the house uninjured after she called police.
An officer made sure the womanwas safe andwaited for other officers to arrive outside the house, police said.
The man refused to answer calls from police to
come to the door and officers were unable to make contact with him.
Hazel Park police were told by the woman and the man’s daughter, who lives out of state, that the man appeared to have symptoms of dementia that was progressing.
At one point during the standoff, the man “disclosed that he was a former U.S. Marine and would not be taken prisoner,” Buchholz said in a statement.
Hazel Park police called on the Oakland County Sheriff’s SWAT unit for additional negotiators and a tactical team.