A man is custody Sunday after a standoff situation came to a peaceful end on Milwaukee’s north side.
It happened near Good Samaritan Church of God in Christ near 53rd Street and Burleigh.
Milwaukee Police Chief Ed Flynn said officers received word that a county bus was hit by a reported stolen vehicle. The driver fled the scene and police later found it on a sidewalk near the church with the driver still inside.
“This was not a disabled vehicle. The person was exhibiting clear signs of a mental health crisis,” MPD Chief Ed Flynn said.
The driver, described as a man in his 60s, told police he couldn’t find his medication, but refused to come out of the vehicle. Police eventually used tear gas to flush him out and later determined that he didn’t have a gun.
“As we ran a check on him, it came back that he had prior commitments and was kept on a two week emergency detention last October for vandalizing a patrol car,” Flynn said.
Church members were holed up inside for hours as police negotiated with the man in the vehicle to give up. The Rev. Herbert Robinson said the congregation was praying for the suspect the whole time.
“We were sad about it because something like that was going on. We didn’t know what was going on. All we know is police were outside trying to get him to give himself up to them,” Robinson said.
The suspect was taken to a local hospital for evaluation and treatment.
