Shooting suspect is charged after Monday incident led to lockdown

Two Hazel Park schools, the Hazel Park Raceway and city ice arena were placed on lockdown after police said a Roseville man fired a gun at least two times before officers arrived and surrounded him.

The suspect -- Brian D. Richardson, 29 -- was arraigned Tuesday in Hazel Park 43rd District Court and is jailed without bond.

Hazel Park Police Chief Brian Buchholz said the suspect was arrested Monday. Police were called about 11:45 a.m. Monday by a woman in a vehicle with her two children, one them fathered by the suspect.

Richardson a day earlier had sent texts to the woman, 29, of Warren threatening to kill her, police said. She spotted him walking along Dequindre Road in the general area of her house when she called police.

“The victim was driving ... when she observed the suspect walking near Dequindre and Oak Grove, at which time she contacted police,” he said. “The suspect walked west and fired a weapon after seeing the victim’s vehicle approaching in the area of Vance and East Woodward Heights.”

A Hazel Park officer arriving in the area also saw the suspect fire the gun in the air, police said.

No one was reported injured.

The location is near the Viking Ice Arena and a short distance from two schools.

Hazel Park School Superintendent Amy Kruppe said in a release the school district was notified by the Hazel Park Police and instituted a lockdown at Hazel Park High School and Hoover Elementary School to prevent students from walking in the direction of where police confronted the suspect.

Buccholz said his department was joined by officers from Madison Heights, Ferndale and Pleasant Ridge and set up a perimeter around the Roseville man.

“After speaking with two officers for (about) an hour the suspect surrendered,” Buchholz said.

Police said they recovered a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun from Richardson, who is charged with possession of a firearm by a felon, a five-year felony; assault with a dangerous weapon, a four-year felony; and two counts of felony firearm second-offense charges, each a five-year felony.

He was convicted in 2009 of a home invasion in Hazel Park and a firearm charge. Richardson completed his parole from prison in 2016, police said.