A 35-year-old man was taken into custody Saturday night after a brazen theft at a Birmingham Kroger store escalated into an armed standoff, police reported. The suspect, whose identity has yet to be released, allegedly made off with a prepaid mobile phone from the retailer on Maple Road and Woodward Avenue at around 9:50 p.m., only to brandish a pistol when confronted by store workers, according to The Detroit News.
The confrontation turned volatile when, witnesses reportedly testified, the man threatened them with the firearm, a detail corroborated by police. After the altercation, the suspect fled the scene, heading toward Woodward Avenue through the store's rear parking lot, as per Patch. A city police officer on foot patrol, alert to the disturbance, spotted the suspect and coordinated with other officers to track his movements.
In a statement gleaned from The Oakland Press, the man was found by the authorities hiding amidst foliage near a brick wall on the east side of a Flagstar Bank parking lot, a stone's throw from the grocery store. The suspect put up a fight during his arrest, resisting officers' efforts to take him into custody.
An airsoft pistol and the stolen cell phone were discovered discarded in the bushes where the suspect was allegedly taking refuge, the brush concealing not just the man, but also the trappings of his ill-conceived scheme. Justice now awaits the 35-year-old, with the police affirming that charges are in the pipeline, the extent of which remained pending as of Monday, and the accused held until arraignment can proceed.
