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Michigan: Sterling Heights Stellantis plant employees evacuated as armed man enters facility, police and SWAT respond
While police identified the armed man as a current employee of the Sterling Heights Assembly Plant, the motive remains unclear.
Chaos ensued at the Stellantis Sterling Heights Assembly Plant in Michigan after an armed man entered the facility on Saturday evening, July 12. Police and S.W.A.T. responded to the scene and employees were evacuated.
What we know so far
As reported by Metro Detroit News, the armed man is an employee who barricaded himself inside Stellantis’ Sterling Heights Assembly Plant. While cops identified the man as a current employee of the plant, the motive remains unclear. Reports circulating on social media said this is an “active shooter” situation, but that is not true, the outlet reported.
A spokesperson for Stellantis said that the armed man was taken into custody, according to the Detroit Free Press. "Employees will be offered counseling when production resumes. Production was not running at the time of the incident,” the spokesperson said.
No injuries have been reported so far. The perimeter has been secured by law enforcement, who tried to negotiate a peaceful resolution.
Macomb County Watch wrote in a Facebook post, “We can confirm that an active barricaded situation remains ongoing at Sterling Heights Assembly Plant. Sterling Heights Police responded about 4:00pm for a call from a male employee who stated he was armed and suffering a potential mental health crisis. The male remains yelling and screaming, units have had him contained for some time. Negotiations remain ongoing.”
Macomb County Watch later shared an update which read, "Negotiators have talked the armed and barricaded suspect at Stellantis Sterling Heights Assembly Plant into peacefully surrendering, after a near three hour standoff inside of a mens locker room. The standoff has ended and the male is in police custody. Authorities will remain at the scene to investigate for some time.
The Sterling Heights Assembly Plant is notably where Stellantis produces the Ram 1500 truck. Stellantis is the company that owns Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram and Fiat.
Production at the Sterling Heights Assembly Plant is limited on weekends. The company’s spokesperson said that only a skeleton crew of skilled trades workers were there when the armed man entered.
