MIO – A gunman barricaded in Pioneer Pharmacy in Mio gave himself up without incident after a five-hour standoff.
According to Oscoda County Sheriff Kevin Grace, the unidentified gun man entered the pharmacy about 12:15 p.m. today, and ordered an undisclosed number of people out of the building. One of building occupants called E-911 at 12:16 p.m.
Officers from the Oscoda County Sheriff Department immediately responded to the scene and called for assistance. The Michigan State Police Emergency Response Team (EST) was in Grayling at the time of the incident and assisted. Grace said he turned over negotiations with the gunman to the ES Team and they were successful in persuading the gunman to exit the building without incident.
Grace said the man was arrested and is lodged in the Ogemaw County Jail. He will be arraigned tomorrow in 81st District Court in charges of Robbery, Armed, and a related weapons offense.
Grace was pleased with the outcome.
“We were happy to have a peaceful resolution to the incident,” Grace said. ” Our team did a great job and I’m proud of the way everything was handled. The ES team did a great job completing the negotiations.”
Also assisting at the scene was the Oscoda County Road Commission and the Michigan Department of Transportation, which was available to close down a portion of M-33 during the standoff.
