Police deployed beanbag shotguns to subdue a suspect who prompted a SWAT response during a standoff Thursday in unincorporated Lake Bluff.
According to authorities, the 63-year-old suspect was living in a concealed tent structure that had been discovered on a densely wooded commercial site in the 3600 block of Skokie Highway last year. According to police, the man had been living in the structure for at least seven years.
After that discovery last year, the property’s owners sought an eviction notice, and when Lake County Sheriff’s Deputies arrived to serve that notice, the man refused to leave the tent, threatening them with violence and harm if they approached.
The suspect also threatened to kill sheriff’s canines that were brought to the scene, and efforts to deescalate the situation failed, requiring additional support from SWAT teams.
The barricaded suspect forced the closure of nearby U.S. 41 while teams responded to the scene, according to Total Traffic.
According to the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, crisis negotiators attempted to negotiate with the man for four hours, but at approximately 2:10 p.m., the man cut a hole in the tent and moved toward officers while wielding a hammer.
Deputies fired beanbags at him, knocking him down and allowing him to be taken into custody.
Local
The suspect was transported to a local hospital and treated, and was released into the custody of the Lake County Sheriff’s Office.
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