Knife-Wielding Teen Arrested After Search, Pleasant Ridge School Lockdown

A 15-year-old knife-wielding boy who screamed at police to shoot him Thursday morning was apprehended and is being evaluated at the University of Michigan hospital, police say.

According to Saline Police Chief Larry Hrinik, the boy left his home with a long knife in an agitated state Thursday morning. Saline Police confronted him at Wilderness Park but the boy ran off into the woods. When police lost sight of the boy, they called Saline Area Schools officials, who responded by locking down Pleasant Ridge Elementary School.

With the help of a Michigan State Police tracking dog, police continued to search the area. Pittsfield Police also assisted in the search

About 35 minutes later, police received a tip that the boy was in a cornfield off Woodhill Street. Police found him near Marpool and Woodhill. The boy, still carrying a 10-inch knife, began screaming at police to shoot and kill him.

Saline Police asked Pittsfield Police to use their tasers to subdue to boy. Pittsfield officers were able to get close enough to bring to subdue the teen using a taser.

“This could have been much worse. It’s a 15-year-old boy we’re talking about. So we’re happy it turned out the way it did,” Hrinik said.

The boy was arrested and transported to the University of Michigan hospital. He remained belligerent after the arrest.

“The best place for him is the hospital,” Hrinik said.

Saline Area Schools Assistant Superintendent Steve Laatsch posted on the school website that Pleasant Ridge entered external lock-down mode at 10:25 a.m.

“School personnel immediately locked all entrances and exits to the building and instructed classroom teachers to lock their doors as well.  No persons were allowed to enter or exit the building during this time.  Building procedures and protocols went into place, and all students were safe and accounted for.  The lock-down was cleared by the Saline Police Department at 11:05 a.m. and the school day continued as planned,” Laatsch wrote.

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