Armed customer stops employee stabbing at Home Depot

ROSEVILLE, Mich. — A customer with a handgun stopped a shoplifting suspect from slashing a security officer with a contaminated needle and syringe Monday outside a Home Depot store in Roseville, police said.

Joshua J. Silva, 26, was ordered held in the Macomb County Jail on $25,000 bond after being arraigned Tuesday on second-degree retail fraud, a one-year misdemeanor, and assault with intent to do great bodily harm, a 10-year felony. A preliminary exam is set for April 2 in 39th District Court in Roseville.

Roseville Police Chief James Berlin said that Silva claimed he is addicted to heroin, but it is not believed he was on the drug at the time of the assault.

Berlin said Silva began to fight with store loss prevention officers in the parking lot when they tried to apprehend him for stuffing a $179 battery-powered drill under his coat. Silva pulled a concealed syringe from his jacket and used it as a weapon, swinging it around in a slashing motion, police said.

They said he stabbed one of the officers several times with the contaminated needle. Berlin said the victim had more than five puncture wounds on the top of his hand.

A customer with a concealed pistol license saw the fight, pulled out his handgun and told Silva to drop the syringe and get on the ground. Silva stopped fighting and sat down in the parking lot, police said, but jumped up and ran when he heard approaching police sirens. The loss prevention officers allowed him to run and police officers arrested him without further incident.

The citizen told police he got involved because the suspect was so violent and appeared to "be getting the best of" the loss prevention officers. He said he feared if he didn't get involved, the suspect was going to kill one of the store officers, police said.

The wounded loss prevention officer was treated at a local hospital. Neither he nor the good Samaritan was interested in a media interview, Berlin said.

He said the syringe had some residue in it. It is to be tested later Tuesday by the Michigan State Police crime lab for any signs of communicable disease.

Police also will be seeking a search warrant to have Silva tested for any infectious disease that could have been transmitted to the loss prevention officer.

Berlin said Silva had a prior retail fraud conviction and drug arrests.

Berlin said the good Samaritan, who told police he wished to remain anonymous, will be recommended in for a citizen's award.