Police detain man with knives at Grand Island church

GRAND ISLAND, Neb. (KSNB) - A large police presence could be seen Thursday morning on 2nd Street in Grand Island.

Grand Island Police received a call of a break-in at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church around 9 a.m. after a person who works for the church noticed signs of a break in.

Captain Jim Duering said there’s a male subject who had barricaded himself with knives in the church for more than an hour as police worked to talk him out of the building.

Capt. Duering said this is not a hostage situation, adding that police are in and around the church with the police’s SWAT team on scene.

He said he wasn’t sure the motivation but he’s in the church unlawfully.

Police were able to detain him more than an hour after the initial call.