8 GROUNDCOVER NEWS POLICE GREG WOODRING Groundcover contributor The combined forces of Ypsilanti Police, Eastern Michigan University Police, Ann Arbor Police, Washtenaw County Police, Livingston County Police, Plymouth Police, Howell Police, Hamburg Township Police, Shiawassee County Police, State Police and Washtenaw County SWAT laid siege against an Ypsilanti man experiencing a mental health crisis armed only with a sword. Over the course of 30 hours spanning Sunday, January 4 and Monday, January 5, police used tear gas, flashbangs, an LRAD (a sonic weapon meant to disperse crowds through extremely loud and disorienting sounds), a fire hose, and demolition equipment to try to force the man from his home. The confrontation began on January 4 at 12:30 p.m. following a wellness check called by the downstairs neighbor. The neighbor had complained of harassment including banging on doors, floors, shouting and loud music. When police arrived the man allegedly answered the door with a sword and police made the decision to retreat and create a perimeter surrounding the building. At roughly 4 p.m. Washtenaw County SWAT arrived. They proceeded to break both upstairs windows, cut electricity and gas to the house, and begin launching tear gas grenades and flashbangs into the residence. The confrontation lasted through the night and into the next day. Police presence continued to grow. A mobile command unit, armored vehicle, several police cruisers, fire trucks, ambulances and a crane were deployed to the scene. Snipers also occupied the church across the street, displacing Meals of Wheels services. Neighbors and community members had gathered in protest throughout the day. Around 3 p.m. Monday police confronted them, tackling several and arresting two. At approximately 5 p.m. the Washtenaw County Sheriff Alyshia Dyer arrived and answered questions from concerned residents. The sheriff maintained that the police were attempting to de-escalate the situation, but could not answer why that level of police presence was required for one man alone with a sword. At approximately 6 p.m. police, while elevated behind a specialized shield attached to a crane, began using a firehose to spray the inside of the building. The police continued to intermittently use the hose to spray the building for several hours. At approximately 8:30 p.m. the police began to demolish the front and inside of the building using a crane. The police then proceeded to spray the fire hose into the building through the hole that was opened up. On the loud speaker negotiators played music and demanded that he exit the building, claiming they would continue until the building was totally exposed. Finally at approximately 11 p.m. folJANUARY 9, 2026 Police torture Ypsilanti resident and demolish home in 30 hour siege lowing two flash bangs, three tear gas grenades and the sound of what seemed to be gunshots police entered the building and pulled the man out in what seemed to be some dark tarp. The confrontation ended with police apprehending a man who had withstood nearly 36 hours of constant tear gas, flash bangs, sonic weapons and freezing cold temperatures exacerbated by thousands of gallons of water unloaded into his home by a fire hose and demolition equipment tearing the walls out of his apartment. Sheriff Dyer has reported that the man is now alive and in custody. On Jan. 7 YDP submitted eight felony charges against the resident in crisis. The City of Ypsilanti published a statement Jan. 7 via Facebook. "Per protocol, YPD requested aid from the Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Office Crisis Response Team who then arrived on scene, and were unfortunately unsuccessful in reaching the individual. Following the unsuccessful attempts, on directive of the Crisis Response Team Metro SWAT was contacted for assistance by YPD per protocol, due to their specialized training and resources. Upon the arrival of Metro SWAT, the Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Office assumed full control of the scene ..." WCSO has not released a statement as of the time of printing. Regardless of how the decisions were made, it’s abundantly clear that excessive and unnecessary force were used against a single man who was posing no immediate threat to anyone. For roughly 36 hours, three residential blocks were blockaded, residents were displaced from homes, and neighbors were subjected to tear gas, the sounds of flash bangs and sound weapons, and extreme militarized police presence. The three-unit apartment building is completely unlivable, displacing the downstairs resident who originally called in the police for help. Several questions remain to be answered surrounding the event. Residents have speculated that police used this crisis as an opportunity to train on the militarized equipment they rarely get to use. Many of them claim that this is the reason for so many far flung police departments to be involved in this mental health crisis turned domestic military action. Local, county and state police certainly haven’t given any reason that seems satisfactory to justify this level of force. If this is the case, one does have to wonder if the police having this equipment is actually making anyone safer, or if instead it’s simply tempting the officers to escalate situations that could have otherwise been handled without violence. Above: Snipers staged inside First Baptist Church, across from resident's home. Below: SWAT fires tear gas and flash bangs into the house alongside amored vehicle. Above: Crowd surrounds police as they arrest concerned, protesting neighbor. Below: After the removal of the resident through siege, the house is unlivable.
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