Police fatally shoot sword-wielding man

NORTON SHORES, Mich. (WOOD) - A man shot during a confrontation with police on Thursday, in which he was holding a sword and yelling "Shoot me," died on Friday.

Chris Burroughs was 34.

Two officers with the Norton Shores Police Department were called around 5:30 p.m. to a domestic violence call at a residence in the 600 block E. Sternberg Road, according to Muskegon County Sheriff Dean Roesler.

The homeowner of that residence was armed with a weapon. One of the officers was confronted with a threat, Roesler said.

"Clearly the officer must have perceived a threat to himself or someone present at the scene," said Roesler.

Reacting to that perceived threat, he shot the homeowner.

The whole incident, 24 Hour News 8 was told, lasted less than five minutes.

At least one round was fired, Roesler said.

Neighbor Alan Barber lives with his mother two houses from where the suspect resides, and said he watched the confrontation from his backyard.

"I spent four years in the service and seen grenades and everything else, but never seen anything like this," Barber said.

Barber identified the suspect as Burroughs.

Barber said Burroughs was standing on his back porch waving a large sword. The officers were standing about 20 feet away in the suspect's backyard.

The two officers yelled at Burroughs to put down the weapon, Barber said.

Barber said Burroughs shouted back, "Shoot me."

Then, Barber said, one of the officers shot Burroughs three times. Barber said he thought it looked like Burroughs was killed.

Roesler said the suspect was taken to a hospital in critical condition.

"They shouldn't have been that close if they were in fear of him. They should've had a negotiator here. They didn't even have a negotiator here," said Barber.

The victim of the alleged domestic violence, who authorities said is the suspect's wife and who Barber said is the suspect's girlfriend, was also taken to the hospital.

Michigan State Police is investigating the shooting. Norton Shores police will continue to investigate the original domestic violence case.

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Court documents show Burroughs had a long criminal history beginning when he was just 14-years-old. He had trouble with the law after drinking alcohol. Later a personal protection order was filed against him alleging Burroughs stalked the mother of his child and she was afraid he might "kill her and take their child."

Documents from the court also show that Burroughs was diagnosed as bipolar and at least one point in the past had gone off his medication.