Authorities: Chainsaw-wielding man shot dead by officer was from Indiana
The chainsaw-wielding man who was shot and killed by St. Charles police on Sunday morning has been identified as an Indiana resident.
Daniel H. Escalera, 41, of Stockwell, Indiana, had no known ties to the area or the assisted living facility where he threatened residents, authorities announced Monday.
In a news release from St. Charles police and the Kane County state’s attorney’s office, authorities said they had no previous contact with Escalera. They added that they don’t know why he was in St. Charles or went to the River Glen senior assisted living residence.
Police responded at 8:45 a.m. on Sunday to the report of a shirtless man with a chainsaw trying to cut down a tree on the property.
Just before police arrived, witnesses said the man had entered the lobby and began confronting residents with the chainsaw.
Officers tried to de-escalate the situation, according to the news release, and stunned the man with a Taser. But they said he continued to try to use the chainsaw against residents, so an officer shot him.
Illinois State Police are investigating the shooting. The results of that investigation will be given to Kane County State’s Attorney Jamie Mosser, who will decide whether the shooting was justified.
The officer who shot Escalera has been placed on paid administrative leave.
Indiana court records show that a Daniel H. Escalera of Stockwell was charged in June in Boone County with several crimes, including possession of methamphetamine, operating while under the influence, public intoxication and criminal mischief. A trial was scheduled for February.
Indiana court records also indicate that he pleaded guilty in January to a charge of operating a vehicle while under the influence of a controlled substance. He was sentenced to three years in prison but given credit for 276 days spent in jail awaiting trial. The rest of his sentence was suspended.
Boone and Tippecanoe authorities could not be reached for comment on Monday afternoon.