FERNDALE (WWJ) A Ferndale man was charged after he allegedly sexually assaulted and strangled a woman before barricading himself in a home.
Ferndale Police said Hazel Park officers received an open 911 call on Sunday, December 29th, around 6:50 a.m. The call came from Pilgrim— in the area of I-75 and 9 Mile—near the Ferndale and Hazel Park border. Both agencies responded to the scene.
When officers arrived, they met a woman who fled a house on the Ferndale side of Pilgrim. The victim, 32, told them the suspect had sexually assaulted and strangled her.
The suspect was identified as Kenneth Hansen, 32.
Police said he was still inside the house when they came. Officers established a perimeter around the house and started trying to speak to Hansen, urging him to exit.
During approximately two and a half hours of negotiations; Hansen threatened suicide and violence against others, police said.
“Concerned for Hansen’s safety as well as the safety of the surrounding community, officers developed a plan to use non-lethal techniques to take him into custody,” the Ferndale Police press release read. “At one point, when Hansen stepped to the front door, officers deployed a Taser to subdue him.”
Officers arrested him “without further incident.”
Police did not specify how the victim and suspect knew each other.
He was arraigned Monday, December 30th, in 43rd District Court and charged with: one count of assault, two counts of criminal sexual conduct (all felonies), and one count of domestic violence (a misdemeanor).
He was given a $300,000 cash bond. He is due back in court on January 9th.