Officials: Subject Shot After He Fired On Troopers

Delaware State Police have arrested a Long Neck man after he shot at troopers in the Potnets Creekside development, according to Public Information Officer, Master Corporal Gary Fournier.

Fournier said the incident began around 8:25 p.m. Friday, November 19, 2021, when a female called 9-1-1 to report a domestic in-progress at her home located in the 25000 block of Crab Alley E in Long Neck. The female advised the dispatchers that her boyfriend had been consuming alcohol since he returned home in the afternoon and was now locked inside a bedroom with their 9-month-old child. She also stated her boyfriend, who was later identified as Michael Bartie, 31, was refusing to come out with the child and was putting on body armor and arming himself with a rifle said Fournier.

The female was able to leave the house on her own and placed in the safety of the responding troopers who had established a perimeter around the house. Negotiations with Bartie began over the phone for him to exit the house, but he continued to be uncooperative, and at one point, threatened there would be a shootout, according to Fournier. At approximately 8:58 p.m. Bartie walked outside of his house carrying a flashlight, pointing it in the direction of the troopers. Bartie fired one round in the direction of the troopers. When Bartie fired another round a trooper returned fire and struck Bartie in the torso.

At that point, Bartie stopped shooting at the troopers. Delaware State Police Aviation’s Trooper 2 was able to observe him lying next to a vehicle in the driveway. Troopers approached Bartie and placed him into custody before allowing EMS to transport him to an area hospital where he was admitted for his non-life-threatening injury. Found in Bartie’s possession or in the immediate area were two firearms, a .223 rifle and a 9mm handgun, said Fournier.

Michael Bartie has formally arraigned bedside at the hospital for the following charges:

Possession of a Deadly Weapon During the Commission of a Felony
Four counts of Reckless Endangering 1st
He has been remanded to the Delaware Department of Correction in lieu of $600,000.00 cash bond.

The trooper, a 5-year-veteran assigned to Troop 7 in Lewes, has been placed on administrative duty per divisional policy. No troopers or members of the public were injured during this incident.

The 9-month-old child was unharmed and was safely returned to her mother.

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