Barricaded Taylor gunman surrenders after being shot by police in gunfire exchange

TAYLOR, Mich. (FOX 2) - A barricaded gunman standoff in Taylor is over after the suspect surrendered to police Monday.

The man suffered a gunshot wound to the stomach after he opened fire on police, and they responded by firing back. He is expected to survive.

It all started around 2 p.m. when a neighbor heard gunshots fired at the scene, located on Polk Street near Goddard. After looking outside the neighbor saw the man firing off his shotgun - unclear what he was aiming at.

When police arrived, they tried to talk to him – but the man fired a single shot at them and went inside. He came out again and exchanged gunfire with the police officers.

Some investigators, and neighbors in the area who know the man, have speculated that the chaos could be over a order to seize the man's dogs – who usually roam loose around the neighborhood.

Taylor police, Downriver SWAT and the Michigan State Police bomb squad –which brought a robot to assess the situation–  were all at the scene, trying to coax the suspect out. 

One of the neighbors, Sheila Baker, said she spent about four hours taking cover with her border collie, Blue.

"Three police came into my house, and set up stations in that bedroom with their tripods and their guns," Baker said. 

Another nearby resident said she was not surprised by the incident. 

"I (saw) this coming," said Vanessa Thibodeau.

For three years, they have been watching the suspect's erratic behavior.

"From my experience, you could approach him, and he was pretty violent," Thibodeau said.

Allegedly, his two dogs were also aggressive. The two neighbors said they lived in fear –and so did their pets–  as the dogs were usually loose.

The situation escalated last spring when the alleged offender's dogs trespassed into her yard and assaulted Blue.

"They were trying to kill (my dog)," Baker said. "(He) had over 30 major lacerations around his neck."

From that point forward, neighbors have been making efforts to involve animal control and the courts in Taylor to relocate the dogs. At last, a court order was granted last month, but the suspect did not adhere to it.

The dogs were eventually seized by animal control on Monday, after the man surrendered.

"I've been worried and living with such fear for so long –I'm not relieved yet, because I don't know– is he coming back?" Baker said.