By Mike Kruzman / news@whmi.com


Two South Lyon police officers are being commended for de-escalating a situation with a barricaded gunman.

Police Chief Chris Sovik told South Lyon City Council Monday night that officers Jake Jacobs and Travis Stevens were dispatched on September 17th to the 200 block of Longfellow. Jacobs and Stevens were there to investigate a call about an individual who was walking around the area with a rifle that he had allegedly just pointed at his neighbor. Chief Sovik said it quickly turned into a barricaded gunman situation, and that the two officers performed and operated very well under stressful conditions and as a team.

Officer Stevens effectively communicated with dispatch, supervisors and Oakland County deputies who were assisting on the scene. Officer Jacobs, meanwhile, was said to quickly build a rapport with the suspect and negotiated the incident to a peaceful resolution.

Chief Sovik complimented the work of his officers, saying “every step during the quickly evolving incident was calmly made and executed to assure the incident had a positive and non-violent conclusion. This was at times a very tense situation with an armed schizophrenic subject who was not in touch with reality and reluctant to cooperate.”

The Chief further said that Jacobs and Stevens took their safety, as well as the safety of the suspect and assisting deputies into account, and maintained a calm and professional demeanor throughout the incident.

The suspect remains incarcerated and has a competency hearing on December 15th.