A standoff in Detroit, Michigan ended in bloodshed on Wednesday morning. The suspect in an alleged triple-murder shot and killed himself after barricading himself in his home for about 30 hours, cops said in a Detroit News report.
Police “heard a pop” as they approached the front porch at about 7:05 a.m., assistant chief of police David LeValley said. This happened after two hostages were released or able to escape, and the suspect had ceased communication.
The suspect was Thomas Curry, 38, according to court records identified by Detroit News. He was subject to a felony warrant for three counts of first-degree murder, three counts of felony firearm, and one count of second-degree arson. Three men were found dead in a house fire in June. They were burned beyond recognition.
The standoff began early Tuesday morning when the suspect allegedly ran a red light. He kept driving when Redford police tried to pull him over, then went to his home and fired one shot from his porch, hitting no one but forcing police to be more cautious. He took two people hostage, but they were eventually off of the premises: the woman was released on Tuesday, while a man escaped on Wednesday.
“He realizes he’s potentially facing very serious charges,” Police Chief James Craig said Tuesday. “This might be his last time of freedom.”
Craig described the suspect as belonging to a local motorcycle gang.
“He’s expressed a desire not only to attack police officers, but to take his own life, so we’re exerting extreme patience,” he said Tuesday. “He told us he suffers from schizophrenia, but he hasn’t taken his medication, and was under the influence of drugs.”
Richard Nelson Sr. told the news outlet that his son, Richard Nelson Jr. was one of the hostages. His son had met the suspect only about a week before. He said he did not know why the younger Nelson was at the residence or how he was connected to the female hostage.
“I have no idea,” he said.
[Screengrab via WXYZ]
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