Detroit police chief: Officers shot man armed with knife during welfare check

Chief James Craig says man armed with knife charged firefighter inside home

DETROIT – Detroit police officers shot a 61-year-old man who was armed with a knife during a welfare check Wednesday afternoon at a home in the 400 block of Euclid Avenue, Chief James Craig said.

Craig said the officers were conducting a welfare check after a family member said the man had not been seen for days. The family member said the man has a history of mental illness.

The chief said officers were cleared by a supervisor to breach entry into the residence after no one responded. Two Detroit firefighters responded to the home to help the officers get inside.

Once inside, the officers and firefighters went upstairs searching for the man. Craig said the man opened an upstairs door and had a brief conversation before charging the firefighter with a knife. The two officers fired one shot each, striking the man.

"The firefighter believed he was faced with an imminent threat. The officers also believed the firefighter's life was in danger," said Craig.

The person is being treated for injuries at a hospital.