Southfield Police Identify Shooter As Veteran With 'Serious Issues'
SOUTHFIELD (WWJ) - A 64-year-old Southfield man has been identified as the person who was shot and killed in an exchange of gunfire with officers at police headquarters Sunday.
Officials said 64-yr-old Harold Joseph Collins was a military veteran who was appeared poor health, but said nothing when he entered the police station.
Southfield Police Chief Eric Hawkins said Collins stared blankly and made no outward appearances of anything wrong until he pointed his weapon at officers.
At a press briefing Monday, Hawkins made assurances that the community was safe. "This was an isolated incident involving a subject who apparently had serious internal issues," Hawkins told reporters.
Hawkins said investigators are still unsure what prompted the shooting and stopped short of calling it a suicide attempt.
He made but made this appeal to the public:
"Monitor your family members, your close friends, for any changes, any radical changes in behaviors," said Hawkins. "Help your family and help your close friends to help themselves before an incident spirals out of control like the one we saw yesterday."
Hawkins said Collins had no criminal record.
The 50-year-old officer who was struck in the left shoulder was expected to be released from the hospital Monday or Tuesday.
The investigation has now been turned over to the Oakland County Sheriff's Department. The officers involved in the shooting are now on administrative leave until the investigation is completed.
