Elgin police standoff ends after five hours
A 28-year-old Elgin man with a history of mental illness kept police at bay for more than five hours before being arrested in his home early Monday morning.
Timothy Engel, of the 0-99 block of Jackson Street, was arrested at 4:15 a.m. and later charged with reckless discharge of a firearm and possession of firearms and ammunition without a Firearm Owner Identification Card, police said.
The most serious charges carry a maximum sentence of five years in prison, but probation also is an option. He is due in bond call Tuesday morning.
The incident began at about 10:45 p.m. Sunday after Engel was believed to have fired several shots in the area of his home, police said in a statement.
Police spokeswoman Sue Olafson said officers forced their way into the home and arrested Engel without any injuries occurring.
Engel was the only person in the home at the time.
"We can't speculate about what set him off. Witnesses said he had been drinking," Olafson said.
Olafson said police later obtained a search warrant and seized a .22-caliber handgun, a .38-caliber handgun, ammunition and at least 10 old shotguns and rifles.
More than 40 officers responded to the scene and traffic was detoured around Jackson and Chicago Street during the standoff.
Police said Engel had been arrested several times by Elgin police since 2004, including for a DUI that year. In 2006, he was arrested on charges of criminal trespass and domestic battery. And in 2008, he was arrested on charges of obstruction of justice, attempting to disarm a police officer, criminal trespass and disorderly conduct.
According to court records, Engel was arrested and charged with felony obstructing justice in December 2008, pleaded guilty that month and was sentenced to 12 months probation, 38 days in jail and fined $1,315.
However, Engel was charged in March 2009 with a probation violation and in September 2009 was found unfit to stand trial. At the time, his mental health evaluation report was impounded by the courts, records show.