Gurnee police shoot knife-wielding man

An argument between a husband and wife preceded an incident in which the man was shot by a Gurnee police officer late Sunday after refusing demands to drop a knife, authorities said.

Police said Monday the 37-year-old man underwent surgery and is expected to recover from his wounds. He was treated at the scene by Gurnee paramedics, then brought by ambulance to Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville.

Gurnee police Cmdr. Jay Patrick said the man has not been charged with any crime.

Officers were sent to a single-family house in the 3400 block of Pacific Avenue when a 34-year-old woman called 911 at 9:32 p.m. Sunday to report her husband was outside acting strangely.

Patrick said at least five responding officers found the man walking around with a knife, then ducking behind a tree in the front yard. Police said the man didn't comply with several orders to drop the knife and to get down on the ground.

An officer then shot the man with what police described as a "less lethal" 12-gauge shotgun, but the man kept advancing toward police. He still progressed after being hit by more of the less-lethal rounds, police said.

Police continued to shout orders for the man to drop the knife, but he didn't comply. That led to one of the officers firing three rounds from his duty handgun at the man, who suffered wounds to his abdomen, chest and hand.

Police said the 32-year-old Gurnee officer involved in the shooting was examined at Condell and released. The officer has been with Gurnee police for two years.

None of the other officers who responded to the incident were injured. Patrick said no one else was outside in the area when the incident occurred.

Following standard procedure for officer-involved shootings, the Lake County Major Crime Task Force is heading an investigation. Patrick said a determination of whether the man should be charged will be made when the probe is completed.