Residents and commissioners demand review after 36‑hour Ypsilanti police siege at 1111 West Cross
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Summary
Dozens of residents described a multi‑agency, 36‑hour response to a Ypsilanti mental‑health incident that included flashbangs, tear gas, LRAD, a fire hose and partial demolition. Commissioner Somerville requested a full review and answers about command, dispatches and why mental‑health teams were not engaged earlier.
Residents and neighbors recounted a prolonged, militarized law‑enforcement response at 1111 West Cross in Ypsilanti that they say lasted more than a day and left a home partially demolished and at least one resident displaced. Eyewitness Greg Woodring said police repeatedly used flashbangs, tear gas and an LRAD while the number of tactical personnel on scene grew from about eight to roughly 20. "They demolished the building, and they fired a fire hose into this house with this man in it," Woodring said.
Multiple speakers described a chaotic scene of onlookers being pushed back, canisters and munition casings left on lawns, and what several characterized as unnecessary use of heavy equipment and weapons against a person the community identified as experiencing a mental‑health crisis. Brad Hale, a long‑time area handyman, told commissioners the house is "totaled" and that tenants will need to find new homes after structural and water damage.
Commissioner Somerville, who said she visited the scene twice, asked for a thorough accounting of the incident, including a timeline of dispatch calls, which agency was in command, the point at which community mental‑health professionals (CMH) were involved, and who authorized use of the fire hose and partial demolition. "I want and expect a full review of the tactics that were used by Metro SWAT," she said, and requested the county administrator gather dispatch records and other facts.
Residents and speakers pressed two core policy points: greater transparency and a shift toward non‑police crisis response. Social workers and volunteers who testified said existing crisis phone lines and unarmed options have not reliably prevented police deployment, and urged investment in unarmed responders to reduce escalations. Lindsay Kalka, a social worker from Ypsilanti, warned that many people now avoid calling crisis numbers for fear police will arrive instead of health‑focused teams.
Speakers also raised budget questions, asking how many law‑enforcement hours, munitions and specialized systems were deployed and whether those resources might be better spent on housing and mental‑health services. Several urged an independent review; Perry, a social worker and neighbor, explicitly called for an independent investigation "because many of the news reports and even the official reports are creepy crap, for those of us who are on the ground watching things that happened."
The board did not vote on any law‑enforcement action during the meeting. Commissioners expressed concern and committed to follow‑up: Somerville said she was waiting for an official statement from the sheriff's office and reiterated a request for detailed incident records and a financial accounting of the county resources used. The county administrator and sheriff's office were asked to provide more information to the board and the public.
The board signaled interest in public debriefs and community sessions to allow neighbors to describe impacts and to inform oversight. No formal independent review was authorized at the meeting; commissioners said they would pursue facts and further options.
Ending: Commissioners said they would seek additional information from the sheriff's office and the county administrator and consider how to respond administratively and through budget and oversight processes.
