DETROIT – A retired Detroit police officer was arrested Monday morning after he fired an automatic assault rifle in his neighborhood and tried to drive drunk, police said.
A SWAT team responded to a home on Detroit's west side for what could have been a standoff near Grand River Avenue and the Southfield Freeway.
The bomb squad was also called to the home and returned Monday afternoon after grenades were found.
"Quite frankly, he must have fired at least 100 rounds last night," said a neighbor living nearby who did not want to be identified.
The Grandmont neighborhood, on Detroit's west side, is usually one of the quieter neighborhoods in the city.
"If they go in the backyard, they will see all of the shell casings, and now we come to find out (there were) grenades in the house,” said another neighbor.
Those living there said they started hearing gunshots around midnight, but police weren't called until 3:30 a.m.
Police quickly realized they were dealing with a retired Detroit police officer. They saw him get into his car and try to take off, but they stopped him, did a breath alcohol test and arrested him on suspicion of operating while intoxicated, they said.
Police said there's evidence he was shooting his gun overnight. He'll likely be charged with reckless discharge of a firearm, they said.
When officers were looking through the man's home, which is a fortress with 10-foot fencing and huge gates, they found more than a dozen guns, including long guns, grenades and a grenade launcher, police said.
"He has electrical wire on it, on the outside," said a woman who lives close to the suspect. "You can't even go close to his property."
Members of the bomb squad said the grenades were never active. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is working to determine if the guns and other items, including the grenade launcher, are legal.
The retired officer hasn't been charged yet. He's a 56-year-old man and spent 27 years with the Detroit Police Department and retired in 2013.
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