An irate man wielding a knife chased away photographers and threatened Detroit firefighters as they tried to extinguish a three-house blaze Tuesday night on the city’s east side.
Shortly after 11 p.m., firefighters were called to Molena and Van Dyke, where a vacant house was engulfed in flames. While trying to protect two neighboring occupied houses, firefighters were confronted by a 43-year-old man pacing back and forth with a knife.
About 10 minutes later, police arrived and recovered a handgun from the scene. It’s unclear whether the gun belonged to the man wielding a knife.
After police left, the man began threatening firefighters again, but it took police more than 30 minutes to respond. This time, police arrested the suspect, who is awaiting charges today.
Firefighters are prohibited from carrying guns for protection.
Knife-wielding man threatens Detroit firefighters; handgun recovered added by Steve Neavling on
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Steve Neavling
Steve Neavling lives and works in Detroit as an investigative journalist. His stories have uncovered corruption, led to arrests and reforms and prompted FBI investigations.
