Pontiac Man Charged with Six Felonies After 3 1/2 Hour Standoff
Pontiac, MI – A barricaded gunman and convicted felon involved in Thursday’s 3 1⁄2 hour standoff with law enforcement was arraigned today on six felony charges. Roderick Harris, 23, of Pontiac, is charged with torture, criminal sexual conduct, assault with intent to do great bodily harm, felonious assault, unlawful imprisonment, and first-degree home invasion.
50th District Court Judge Jeremy Bowie ordered Harris held without bond and set Nov. 14 for his next court date. The charges stem from the Oct. 26 assault of a female acquaintance in Pontiac.
Oakland County Sheriff’s Office detectives and members of the sheriff’s Fugitive Apprehension Team (FAT) had gone to the Spring Lakes Apartments near Carriage Circle and Auburn Thursday morning to arrest Harris on the charges. As FAT members observed Harris and were moving to arrest him, one of the members heard Harris rack a weapon.
The SWAT team, which included various members of the Sheriff’s Office and other law enforcement agencies as well as the Sheriff’s Office Drone Unit, were summoned to the location. Residents in 10 apartment units were evacuated as Harris made his way from apartment to apartment through the rafters in a futile attempt to elude law enforcement.
He was ultimately convinced to surrender and taken into custody. Additional charges are expected to be sought against Harris. He has prior convictions for carrying a concealed weapon, two counts of felonious assault as well as several misdemeanors.
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