Sterling Heights, Michigan — Chaos erupted at the Stellantis Sterling Heights Assembly Plant on Saturday evening, July 12, when an armed man barricaded himself inside the facility, prompting a swift response from police and SWAT teams.
Incident Details
According to Metro Detroit News, the armed individual has been identified as a current employee of the plant. The motive behind the incident remains unclear. While initial reports on social media suggested an “active shooter” situation, authorities clarified that this was not accurate.
A Stellantis spokesperson confirmed that the armed individual was taken into custody, stating:
“Employees will be offered counseling when production resumes. Production was not running at the time of the incident.”
No Injuries Reported
No injuries have been reported following the incident. Law enforcement secured the perimeter and attempted to negotiate a peaceful resolution.
Macomb County Watch reported on Facebook:
“We can confirm that an active barricaded situation remains ongoing at Sterling Heights Assembly Plant. Sterling Heights Police responded about 4:00 PM for a call from a male employee who stated he was armed and suffering a potential mental health crisis. The male remains yelling and screaming; units have had him contained for some time. Negotiations remain ongoing.”
Successful Negotiation
In a later update, Macomb County Watch stated:
“Negotiators have talked the armed and barricaded suspect at Stellantis Sterling Heights Assembly Plant into peacefully surrendering after a nearly three-hour standoff inside a men’s locker room. The standoff has ended, and the male is in police custody. Authorities will remain at the scene to investigate for some time.”
About the Sterling Heights Assembly Plant
The Sterling Heights Assembly Plant is known for producing the Ram 1500 truck. Stellantis owns several brands, including Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram, and Fiat. The spokesperson noted that production is limited on weekends, and only a small crew of skilled trades workers were present during the incident.