Warren Township standoff ends peacefully

Police peacefully ended a standoff with a 28-year-old man who was threatening to kill himself and waving a bolt-action rifle outside of his Warren Township home Friday.

The suspect, who was not identified by authorities, was taken into protective custody by Lake County sheriff's police when he put down his weapon after about 40 minutes of negotiations. He was taken to Vista West Medical Center in Waukegan, but officials don't know how long he will remain there.

No one was injured but Woodland Elementary District 50 schools were placed on lockdown and bus companies were notified. Gurnee Police also put into action a reverse 9-1-1, an emergency alert call, prior to the surrender.

The standoff began when sheriff's deputies responded to a 9-1-1 call placed by the suspect's mother at 10:20 a.m. after she heard a gunshot at her home in the 17000 block of West Roberts Court.

Sgt. Timothy Jonites, the first to arrive at the scene, spoke to the man, who threatened to shoot himself and placed the weapon to his chin and in his mouth. He also asked deputies to take his life.

“However, our cops were able to talk the subject down and out of his fateful mode,” Sheriff Mark Curran in a news release.

Sgt. Karen Kates, the sheriff's office spokeswoman who helped secure the perimeter of the scene, said such a suicide threat is rare for Lake County.

“We get suicide threats, but not very frequently where they're holding a gun when deputies arrive,” Kates said.

The sheriff's office, members of its Tactical Response Team, and Gurnee Police helped secure the scene and control the perimeter.

“Everyone was where they needed to be and they had a peaceful resolution, thank God,” Kates said.