Police: N. Chicago man who was being evicted falsely claimed to have explosives, guns

A North Chicago man likely will face charges after he falsely claimed to have explosives and firearms when sheriff's deputies attempted to evict him, according to a Lake County sheriff's office news release.

Three deputies arrived at an apartment on the 1700 block of Sheridan Road in North Chicago to enforce an eviction about 10 a.m. Monday. The 58-year-old resident told officers that he knew why they were there and that he had a "device" rigged to his door, according to the news release.

Two of the deputies then began evacuating the apartment building while one continued to speak with the man as negotiators headed to the scene. Law enforcement agents spoke with the man for more than an hour, during which they determined he did not have explosives. The man ultimately surrendered.

The man was taken to the hospital for a mental health evaluation. The Waukegan Fire Department Bomb Squad later swept the apartment and verified there were no explosives.

Additional investigations by the sheriff's determined the man was attempting a "suicide by cop" and had planned to point a gun at deputies as they entered in the hope they would shoot him.

This eviction had been ordered before the pandemic moratorium went into effect, the sheriff's office said.