Barricaded man shot by police after hours-long standoff in Royal Oak dies in hospital

Royal Oak — A barricaded gunman shot by police Saturday in an hours-long standoff after he aimed a rifle at deputies, died early Sunday, authorities said.

Police identified the gunman as Jason Raymond Sugg, 35. Sugg was pronounced dead at Beaumont Hospital around 6:15 a.m. Sunday, police said.

The incident forced nearby residents in the neighborhood to take cover.  

According to police, Sugg was intoxicated and allegedly assaulted his father before barricading himself in their home at about 2 p.m on the 2700 block of Oliver Street. He was heavily armed and wearing body armor, according to the Royal Oak Police Department. 

Royal Oak officers responded to the call of a violent domestic dispute and established phone contact with Sugg and made repeated attempts to convince him to peacefully surrender. During the negotiations, police say officers heard multiple gunshots coming from inside the house, with several rounds going through the window. 

During the negotiations, Sugg made repeated threats to shoot officers and told them he "rigged" the doors to prevent officers from entering, according to police.

The Oakland County SWAT team arrived to take over the scene around 4 p.m., and residents of Oliver, Galpin, Glenview and Glenwood streets were told to shelter in place, lock their doors, stay away from the windows and take cover in their basements.

After negotiations halted after two-and-a-half hours without contact, the SWAT team used a robot and drone to search the house. The man reconnected with police but disabled the drone. He also donned a gas mask, refusing to surrender, police said. 

At about 8:30 p.m., the suspect appeared near the front of the house and "leveled his rifle at deputies" and a member of the SWAT team shot him, police said. 

Deputies rendered first aid and Sugg was transported to nearby Beaumont Hospital Royal Oak for treatment.

During the standoff, Royal Oak police and the Oakland County Sheriff's Office SWAT team had roads blocked off between Crooks Road and Webster Road. The neighborhood features smaller single-family homes, duplexes and apartment complexes near the border with Clawson.

Neighbor Dylan Kraklan, 28, said he heard what he said sounded like gunshots around 4 p.m., and at that point, police told everyone to stay inside. 

"Never heard a gunshot here before. Never seen any police or anything like this," he said. "You hear sirens because of the hospital nearby, but I've never seen anything like this here before."

The investigation is ongoing.

charrison@detroitnews.com

Twitter: @Casey_Harrison1