BLOOMFIELD TOWNSHIP (WWJ) - A man is expected to face felonious assault charges after pointing a pellet gun at a FedEx driver outside the Jewish Federation of Detroit building in Bloomfield Township Thursday morning.
The incident prompted a brief lockdown shortly after 11:30 a.m. at the Max M. Fisher Federation Building on Telegraph Road
Bloomfield Township police officials say many uniformed and plainclothes officers responded to the scene and had the suspect in custody within three minutes of receiving the call at 11:33 a.m.
Police said the man did not gain entry into the building and did not appear to be targeting anyone in particular. Officials determined there was no threat to the public at the time of the man's arrest.
The Jewish Federation of Detroit released their own statement about the incident in the early afternoon hours, stating that the situation caused a swift lockdown at the location, but confirmed all employees were safe.
"We believe this individual was having a mental health crisis," officials for the federation said. "Following a police interview with the individual, it was determined that this was NOT an act of antisemitism. We greatly appreciate the swift response of the Bloomfield Township Police, and especially the work of our Jewish Community Security Inc. staff."
Extra patrols will continue around the Jewish Federation of Detroit building and synagogues in the township, authorities added.
Officer Nicholas Soley of the Bloomfield Twp. Police Department told WWJ it all began when the suspect, whose name has not been released, pending arraignment, first showed up to the building and tried to get inside.
As he wasn’t an employee, he was told he needed to present some form of photo I.D., so he went back to his car, presumably to retrieve his driver’s license, according to Soley.
When he returned, he was met at the door by a food delivery driver and a FedEx truck was pulling up simultaneously, Soley said.
The suspect told the FedEx driver they needed to move the truck from in front of the federation. As he was looking for a package, the suspect showed and brandished the gun in his waistband, which appeared to be a silver revolver, according to Soley.
The suspect eventually pulled the gun and pointed it at the driver, yelling expletives and telling them they needed to move now. The FedEx driver then pulled away as the man chased the truck a short distance in the parking lot.
While this was unfolding, Solely says other employees at the federation were arriving and they “were entering the building, trying to get away from the chaos.”
The suspect tried to grab the door and get inside but was unable to do so.
Security inside the building saw this going down and immediately activated their emergency operation plan, which included triggering an alarm and calling 911.
Officers arrived and arrested the man and recovered the gun, which was determined to be a pellet gun.
“It was very realistic looking. It looks to be a silver revolver. At any glance you would definitely think this was a threat,” Soley said.
Authorities do not believe the suspect was targeting anyone in specific and the incident is not believed to be fueled by antisemitism.
Investigators are trying to figure out why he wanted to get inside, but believe he had “some sort of business” at the federation building.
While the federation said they believe the man was experiencing a mental health crisis, Soley said the investigation is still in the very early stages and he couldn’t get into the details of his mental health.
The suspect remains in custody and the prosecutor’s office will review the case. Soley said
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