GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - Grand Rapids Police arrested Larry Walker, 54, on Sunday after he allegedly swung an ax at family members and a friend and prompted an hourslong standoff.
Police say that just before 3 p.m. officers responded to a domestic dispute call at a house on Thelma Avenue SE near Elliot Street SE. When police arrived, family members said they got into an argument with Walker. During the disagreement, he went outside, got an ax and swung at relatives and a friend. He didn't hit any of them with the weapon.
The family was able to get the ax away from Walker, but during the struggle, one member of the family suffered a non-life threatening injury.
After the dispute, Walker went back into the house on Thelma Avenue SE and barricaded himself inside. He told police he had and handgun and threatened suicide.
After about four hours, GRPD's Crisis Negotiation Team was able to talk Walker out of the house, and he surrendered himself peacefully. The man was arrested without any shots fired. Police are still investigating the incident. They recovered an ax at the scene but have not located any firearms.
At least three surrounding streets were shut down during the standoff: Thelma Avenue SE, Elliot Street SE and Griggs Street SE. They were reopened shortly after 7:30 p.m.
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