Harvard man charged with threatening McHenry County deputy during standoff
A Harvard man McHenry County sheriff's deputies shot during a standoff more than three weeks ago, in which he allegedly pointed a rifle at a deputy and threatened her life, has been charged with 10 felony crimes related to the shooting, authorities said.
Randall B. Little, 58, of the 19900 block of Streit Road, is accused of intimidating a McHenry County sheriff's deputy with a short-barrel rifle, pointing the gun at her and threatening to kill her if she didn't leave his property, according to a criminal complaint.
McHenry County State's Attorney Patrick Kenneally identified Little Thursday as the man shot by deputies.
Little also is charged with possessing two firearms as a felon and between 20 and 50 marijuana plants, according to the complaint.
The most serious of the offenses - armed violence - is a Class X felony, which if convicted of, typically carries sentences of six to 30 years in prison and is not probational.
Authorities previously said three McHenry County sheriff's deputies were involved in an April 1 shooting that left an armed man hospitalized. Only one, Deputy Gabriela Valencia, was named in the criminal complaint as the officer Little pointed the weapon at.
Valencia was sworn in as a McHenry County deputy in September, according to a Facebook post by the department. At that point, she was headed to the police academy, according to the post.
The other deputies - who have not been publicly identified - have been with the department for six years and 16 years, McHenry County sheriff's Sgt. Eric Ellis has said. The McHenry County sheriff's office declined Thursday to release the other deputies' names, saying the investigation is ongoing.
Kenneally declined to comment on anything regarding Valencia or the other deputies or on the investigation into whether the shooting was justified. His office will ultimately make that determination following the McHenry County Major Investigation Assistance Team's investigation.
All three deputies were placed on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of an investigation by the McHenry County Major Investigation Assistance Team, which was brought in as an outside third party because the shooting involved a deputy.
Deputies were dispatched about 8 p.m. April 1 to the 19900 block of Streit Road for a well-being check, according to a news release from the sheriff's office on MIAT's behalf the following day. When police arrived, a man came out of the residence with a firearm and "an armed confrontation occurred," according to the release.
"The deputies discharged their firearms, ultimately striking the subject. No deputies were injured during the confrontation," according to the release.
The man, now identified as Little, was taken by the Harvard Fire Protection District to Mercy Harvard Hospital and then flown to Javon Bea Hospital in Rockford in critical condition, the agency said in the statement.
He was subsequently moved to a hospital in Wisconsin, Kenneally said earlier this month.
Little was not in custody at the McHenry County jail, as of Thursday morning and there were no plans as of Thursday morning to transport him to the jail, Deputy Kevin Byrnes said in an email Thursday morning.
Kenneally also declined Thursday afternoon to say where Little was.
Attempts to reach Cary Police Chief Patrick Finlon, who is also the secretary and temporary head of MIAT, were unsuccessful Thursday. The McHenry County sheriff's office referred all questions about the investigation to MIAT.