NewsRegionOakland County

Actions

Oak Park police investigating fatal officer-involved shooting

Posted at 9:58 PM, Dec 18, 2017
and last updated 2017-12-19 05:34:00-05

A man is dead after Oak Park Police say he threatened them with a hatchet. 

The incident happened before 7:00 p.m. at home on the 23000 block of Avon St. in Oak Park.

According to police, the 48 year-old man called 911 and told dispatchers he was armed with a gun and a hatchet and was going to shoot up the neighborhood.

When police arrived to the home, the man’s mother met them at the door, officers brought her to safety and then went inside. 

"As the officers immediately entered the home, they were met by the caller, he was indeed armed with a hatchet and he advanced toward my officers and one of my officers was forced to use deadly force,” said Oak Park Public Safety Director, Steve Cooper.
 
Cooper said Oak Park PD has responded to several other calls at this home in the past, but could not confirm what those calls were for.

He said his officers were forced to take deadly action.

"Very sad, very tragic. You hate to have to come down to something like this, very much would have preferred to get the gentleman some help but it wasn't the case in this situation,” said Cooper.
 
The Oakland County Sheriff’s Office is conducting an independent investigation.