Sheriff’s personnel use de-escalation techniques in 2 armed situations

WAUKEGAN – In the span of two days, members of the Lake County Sheriff’s Office de-escalated two potentially deadly incidents.

On April 9, Lake County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a residence near Deerfield for a report of a man in mental crisis, according to a news release. While deputies were responding, Lake County Sheriff’s telecommunicators learned the man was armed with a firearm. The 911 caller was in fear that the man in distress was going to kill his child and the child’s mother, who were both in the home, police said.

Deputies were able to evacuate the woman and child. The man in distress barricaded himself in a bathroom with the firearm, according to the release. Deputies spent almost two hours calmly communicating with the man, de-escalating the situation. The man agreed to come out of the bathroom without the firearm.

The man was taken to an area hospital for a mental health evaluation and treatment.

Sheriff’s deputies found a semi-automatic pistol in the bathroom, which they placed into evidence for safekeeping.

On April 11, deputies responded to a residence in Volo for a man threatening suicide, according to the release. Deputies arrived and the man retrieved a knife and moved to a different area of the home.

Deputies spoke to the man in a calm manner and the man requested to speak to a military combat veteran. They put the man in telephone contact with an off-duty member of the sheriff’s office, who is a combat veteran.

The deputies at the scene, along with the off-duty member of the sheriff’s office, de-escalated the situation and persuaded the man to go to the hospital. The man was taken to an area hospital for a mental health evaluation and treatment, according to the release.

After these incidents, sheriff’s deputies used the “Clear & Present Danger” protocol through the Illinois State Police and “Red Flag laws” through the local court system. This is to ensure both people in crisis do not have access to firearms, according to the release.

“We place a major emphasis on de-escalation versus rushing to use force,” Sheriff John Idleburg said in the release. “If it were not for the calm disposition of our deputies, along with their desire to be community caretakers, combined with our enhanced training, these situations could have ended in tragedy. This is just another one of the many reasons I am proud to serve alongside the men and women of the Lake County Sheriff’s Office.”