10/02/2026
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
October 2nd, 2026
Orchard Lake, Michigan
On October 1st, 2026, at approximately 7:00 AM, officers responded to a report of a male subject possibly experiencing a mental health crisis near Pontiac Trail and Old Orchard Trail. Dispatchers were advised that the subject had made suicidal statements before leaving his residence in a vehicle.
At approximately 7:20 AM, officers, assisted by a West Bloomfield Police Department officer, located the subject inside his vehicle at the Orchard Lake Nature Sanctuary, located at 4700 Pontiac Trail. As officers approached, they observed the subject holding a pistol. Officers immediately moved to positions of cover and attempted to establish communication with the subject.
Due to the subject’s proximity to Pontiac Trail and a Montessori school located directly across the roadway, officers closed Pontiac Trail to traffic and notified school personnel of the situation.
After initial attempts to communicate with the subject were unsuccessful, additional resources were requested from the Oakland County Sheriff's Office Special Response Team (SRT). During the incident, the subject fired one shot from inside the vehicle. Fortunately, no injuries were reported.
Negotiators worked for several hours to resolve the situation peacefully. At approximately 2:30 PM, a flashbang device was deployed near the vehicle, allowing SRT members to safely take the 45-year-old male subject into custody without injury. The subject was subsequently turned over to our officers and transported to a local hospital for mental health treatment. The criminal investigation remains ongoing, and potential charges are under review.
We would like to thank the Oakland County Sheriff's Office, West Bloomfield, Keego Harbor, and Sylvan Lake Police Departments, as well as the co-responders from Oakland Community Health Network, for their assistance and collaboration throughout this critical incident.
The coordinated response and efforts of all agencies involved helped bring this incident to a safe resolution, with no reported injuries.
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Authority:
Jeffrey J. Gomez
Chief of Police
