By Police1 Staff
ROYAL OAK, Mich. — Officers responding to a report of a stolen vehicle saved the suspect after he began stabbing himself.
Berkley police received a report of a possible sighting of a stolen vehicle in the area Monday night, ClickOnDetroit reported.
Royal Oak officers discovered the vehicle in a parking lot with the 62-year-old suspect inside, WJBK reported. He refused to comply with commands. The suspect then pulled out a knife and began stabbing himself repeatedly. According to reports, the suspect stabbed himself nine times.
Police had to break the vehicle’s window to help the man and remove the knife from his hands. They applied a tourniquet to stop the bleeding until the ambulance arrived.
“Initially the officers thought the subject was just pounding on his steering wheel with his fist,” O’Donohue said in a release. “When they realized he was stabbing himself they immediately closed in and disarmed him. Despite the risks to themselves, they knew they had to act quickly or the subject would likely kill himself.”
The man is in police custody at a hospital where he is being treated.
According to WJBK, the man is on parole and his name will not be released until he’s arraigned. His criminal record includes fleeing and eluding and home invasion.