COMSTOCK TOWNSHIP, MI (WKZO AM/FM) — Authorities are releasing more details on a hostage situation in Comstock Township that left a young husband dead and three officers injured.
It happened around 10:30 p.m. Sunday at a home in the 6300 block of Proctor Avenue near King Highway.
Kalamazoo County Sheriff Richard Fuller says a wife, her husband, and their child were watching television at the time when the suspect, unknown to the family, broke inside the residence and started, “40-minutes of mayhem.” Dispatchers received 911 calls from the wife inside the home who said her husband was downstairs with an intruder. Fuller says the wife “took their child out of harm’s way” and hid in another room in another part of the house.
Law enforcement officers from multiple departments arrived at the scene and the SWAT team was enroute when officers heard a gunshot inside the residence. Officers went into the home to “try to save lives,” according to Fuller.
A homeowner was killed inside the home. The victim has been identified as 22-year-old Christopher Ryan Lee Neal. Fuller says he is new to the community and recently moved in about two weeks ago.
During the incident, three officers were struck by bullets, but suffered non-life threatening injuries. Fuller says “a lot of rounds” were shot by suspect, but the officers fired no shots back because they were worried about other victims. He praised the officer’s actions and said, “and that’s why you have three injured officers today, and a suspect in custody.”
Kalamazoo Public Safety Chief Karianne Thomas says one of the officers is with KDPS, another is a deputy with the Kalamazoo County Sheriff’s Office, and the other is a Michigan State Police trooper. Thomas called this weekend “sobering” after several officer-involved shootings this week.
The KDPS officer was identified as Officer Caleb Jones, a three year department veteran and member of the Metro SWAT team. He suffered a non-life threatening injury to his left shoulder and continued to be treated at the hospital on Monday.
Fuller said that the sheriff’s deputy was had a bullet graze his head. He was released from the hospital overnight and is expected to be ok. The sheriff declined to name the deputy but said that he has only been with the force for less than a year.
The Michigan State Police Department reported that their trooper, officer Mark Fletcher, sustained a gunshot to the lower leg but he was released from the hospital Sunday night.
Authorities are seeking multiple charges including murder, home invasion, unlawful imprisonment several assault with intent to commit murder charges, and felony firearm against the suspect. The shooter is now in custody at the Kalamazoo County Jail.
Chief Thomas released a written statement that said:
“As many spent this past Thanksgiving weekend with friends and family, giving thanks, our local law enforcement officers have been tirelessly on duty. In the past 48 hours we have now locally had four officers shot while serving their communities; officers never waiver in their duty to respond or their willingness to go where needed. I ask all to take a moment and give thanks for these public servants.”
During the press briefing officers offered their condolences numerous times to the family. “We work with the community to help them heal,” Fuller added.
