A shelter-in-place order that locked down the city of Grand Ledge on Wednesday has been lifted following the capture of a suspected carjacker, as reported by CBS News Detroit. The individual was apprehended on the banks of the Grand River after an Eaton County Sheriff's deputy pulled the suspect from the river embankment.
The saga began around 8:30 a.m. when the Eaton County Sheriff's Office answered a call about an armed robbery where a vehicle was stolen at gunpoint, according to a statement obtained by WLNS. Tracking the owner's phone left inside the vehicle led authorities to Grand Ledge, the phone was tracked, and then a vehicle was subsequently located where the phone was found, and the suspect had abandoned it.
With the suspect on the run and believed to be armed, Grand Ledge Police, in concert with Michigan State Police and Clinton County deputies, established a perimeter, and advised residents via an emergency notice to secure themselves inside their homes. "We want people to lock the doors, shut your windows, stay inside the residence, and then if we post a description, if you see something like that, please call 9-1-1 to report that," Sgt. Josh Popa of the Eaton County Sheriff's Department told WLNS.
The suspect's pursuit culminated near the Grand River at around 11:40 a.m. when a sergeant, part of a collaborative effort that included the use of a drone, a helicopter and a K-9 unit, discovered the suspect attempting to conceal themselves by the river's edge, this was informed by the Lansing State Journal. "It's good, it's good to make sure that we got the subject in custody and no one was harmed in this, so it was a dangerous, violent felon that we were able to arrest today," Sgt. Popa said in an interview accorded to WLNS.
Following the suspect's capture, the community was quick to express relief as the threat had been neutralized. A local resident, Charlene Avery, shared her sense of security with WLNS: "I’m glad that they have arrested him, and I think the whole Grand Ledge community is gonna be very grateful not to be on lockdown anymore...". As the order was lifted, the authorities thanked the multiple law enforcement agencies involved, and greatly appreciated the patience and cooperation of Grand Ledge's residents during the intense search.
