Johnsburg man charged after standoff with police, accused of firing gun inside home

A police standoff in Johnsburg ended Wednesday after about nine hours, and the man who held police at bay after firing a weapon multiple times from his home was removed by the McHenry County Sheriff’s SWAT team and charged.

Authorities had issued a dangerous situation alert and told residents to shelter in place in the area of Route 31 and Johnsburg Road, where a heavy police presence remained throughout the ordeal.

Johnsburg School District 12 canceled classes on Wednesday because of the police activity, but announced later that school would resume Thursday.

[ UPDATE: Police were called to same Johnsburg home hours before armed standoff ]

Local police, through the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office, released information about 8 a.m. Wednesday saying that, about 11:10 p.m. Tuesday, authorities were dispatched to a home in the 2600 block of Fillmore road “for a man shooting a gun inside the house. Upon arrival, officers identified what they believed to be a mental health incident and a standoff began.”

At a media briefing, Johnsburg interim Police Chief Jason Greenwald said the man was apparently experiencing a mental health crisis before barricading himself in the house.

Greenwald said police set up a perimeter, were able to remove the man’s wife safely and spent several hours negotiating with the man before the SWAT team “made entry” was able to take him into custody and that no weapons were fired by police in the process.

As to whether the man shot at police, Greenwald said authorities are still investigating that. He also said charges are pending against the man but that he was “currently being treated.”

Police wrote in a later news release that the man involved in the standoff, whom they identified as Timothy Mumford, had “before less cooperative” as negotiations continued, “refusing all verbal requests” to surrender.

McHenry County court records show that police obtained an arrest warrant for Mumford at about midnight Tuesday.

The records and police confirm that Mumford, 74, was charged with reckless discharge of a firearm and and reckless conduct after someone in his home reported he was shooting a gun inside.

He is accused of “discharging a firearm multiple times in a reckless manner” endangering his wife’s “bodily safety,” according to the complaint.

It emerged later Wednesday that police had been called to the same residence about seven hours prior to the standoff after Mumford called 911 about what he said was “terrorist” activity in the area.

The McHenry County Sheriff’s Office had issued an alert about midnight Tuesday night, advising of the police activity and a “dangerous situation” near the intersection of Hamlin Drive and Fillmore Road in Johnsburg’s Claremont Hills neighborhood.

The sheriff’s office and police in Johnsburg said the location remained an active scene after 5 a.m. Wednesday, although neither office confirmed the nature of the police activity.

People were advised to avoid the area until further notice.

The area in question is located north of the intersection of Johnsburg Road and Route 31.

District 12 had put out a notice early Wednesday that, “due to an ongoing police matter in a neighborhood in our district, Johnsburg Schools will be closed today.”

District officials followed up with a letter posted later Wednesday saying that there was not a direct threat to its schools and that, in consultation with police, “we are confident that our students and staff can return to all Johnsburg schools” Thursday.

District officials said students who need extra support will be referred to a school social worker.

The district noted that safety of students is a top priority and apologized to families for the inconvenience of closing schools on short notice. “We recognize the impact of such decisions and truly appreciate your patience and understanding,” said the letter, signed by Superintendent Dan Johnson.

A preschool and day care center in the area, called I Am! I Can! Learning Center, also has closed as a precaution, a person there confirmed.

Neighbor Elizabeth Schroeder-Owens said she called 911 about 12:45 a.m. Wednesday after hearing a knock on her sliding back door. She said a dispatcher said to “take cover and stay away from the windows.”

She said she heard some gunshots and the release of tear gas between 1 and 6 a.m., and heard more tear gas about 8 a.m. Police have not confirmed the use of tear gas at the scene.

She added her son used to help mow the lawn and shovel snow for the couple, who she described as a “very nice, quiet couple.” She said she had lived in the neighborhood for more than 30 years and the couple lived there when she moved in.

Another neighbor on the same block, Gloria Trunek, said she was unaware of the police situation until about 6 a.m. Wednesday but after that heard what she thought was gunfire and then saw the SWAT team enter the home about 8 a.m. Trunek said she later saw the officers leave the house and then remove their helmets.

Trunek said she didn’t know the residents of the home well but said a couple lived there and had been fixing up the house.