ROCHESTER HILLS (WWJ) - A lone and very dangerous gunman who fired shots at a nurse early Saturday morning is in custody after nearly a day of searching, police said.
The Troy Police Department said in a 4:30 p.m. update that they had located an attempted murder suspect, identified as Cortez Ulysses Taylor, 29, of Troy.
He was arrested by members of the Oakland County Sheriff's Office Fugitive Apprehension team after a short foot chase.
Deputies said he was apprehended as he was returning to his home near Rochester Road and South Boulevard in Troy. He was not armed when taken into custody, but he "vigorously" fought with the deputies and inflicted minor injuries one of the detectives on the fugitive team.
Taylor was taken to the Oakland County Jail.
"I am proud of the tireless work our team put into this to ensure this dangerous individual was quickly arrested before anyone was killed," Sheriff Michael Bouchard said.
Troy police first alerted the public about the incident just after 8:40 a.m., stating they were in the area of South Boulevard and Rochester Road where officers, along with Oakland County Sheriff's deputies, were searching for a "wanted subject" that was possibly experiencing a mental health episode.
Little information about the unfolding police situation was released until the sheriff's office provided a statement just before 12:30 p.m., clarifying that authorities were looking for Taylor, who they called an "extremely dangerous" suspect connected to the case.
The gunman is identified as Cortez Ulysses Taylor, 29, of Troy. He was last seen wearing green hooded sweatshirt and white sweatpants. He is of a thin build and is 6-feet 1-inch tall with shoulder-length dreadlocks. He was not wearing shoes or socks.Oakland County Sheriff
"Oakland County Sheriff's deputies are searching for a lone gunman who randomly shot at a vehicle being driven by a female nurse who was returning home from work early today in Rochester Hills," the sheriff's office said.
Deputies said the incident happened shortly after midnight when the nurse, a 29-year-old Rochester resident, was driving home from her shift at Troy Beaumont Hospital.
She told police she was driving westbound on South Boulevard near John R when she came upon another motorist, later identified as Taylor, driving erratically. She kept her distance, believing the other driver may be impaired. She eventually tried to pass him and honked her horn at him while she did so, police said.
Taylor then allegedly rolled down his window and fired a single shot at the woman's vehicle, striking the side mirror of her Jeep Compass and shattering her window.
"He was last seen wearing green hooded sweatshirt and white sweatpants. He is of a thin build and is 6-feet 1-inch tall with shoulder-length dreadlocks. He was not wearing shoes or socks," deputies said.
According to the Troy Police Department, the man appeared to have walked away from the area of South Blvd & Rochester Rd on foot.
Deputies said at the time we were unsure if he was armed as detectives recovered a 9 mm handgun believed to have been used in the shooting.
He is believed to have other weapons registered in his name.
"Obviously this individual should be considered extremely dangerous," Bouchard said.
The Sheriff's Search and Rescue Team, helicopter, drones and K9s were called in for the search, with assistance from the Troy Police Department.
The nurse was unharmed in the incident. Sheriff's detectives believe the shooting was random as the gunman has no known connection to the victim.
Deputies said the nurse was able to get the license plate number of the vehicle, which led them to Taylor. The Sheriff's SWAT team went to Taylor's home around 4 a.m., the sheriff's office said, but he was not there.
This is a developing story. Stay tuned to WWJ LIVE for the latest updates.
