Crystal Lake Police Defuse Standoff Near Uteg Street

Crystal Lake Police on Wednesday were able to quickly end a standoff with a distraught man who was visiting a friend in the 200 block of Uteg Street.

The Crystal Lake Police Department was contacted at 9:01 a.m. Oct. 31, by the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Dispatch Center concerning a "troubled individual who was believed to be calling from within the Crystal Lake city limits," according to a press release issued by CL Police Chief David Linder.

Reports indicated the caller was armed with a handgun and contemplating suicide. Working in conjunction with DeKalb County Sheriff’s Dispatch, Crystal Lake Police determined the distraught man was visiting his friend at the Uteg Street home, police said.

Due to the seriousness of this incident, the Crystal Lake Police Department’s Emergency Services Team was activated. A 10-man response team assembled at the corner of Union Street and 2nd Court, police said.

Uniformed officers secured a perimeter surrounding the neighborhood to prevent anyone from entering the area. At the same time, the CLPD contacted local school officials at 10:05 a.m. and asked that students and staff be kept indoors until situation was resolved, according to an e-mail alert sent to parents by District 47 Superintendent Donn Mendoza.

Once the area was contained, police negotiators made contact with the individual by cellular telephone. The subject surrendered himself to officers without incident, Linder said in the release.

The man was subsequently transported to Woodstock Hospital for an evaluation. The initial report saying he was armed was determined to be false, police said. No injuries were sustained to anyone involved in this incident.

The man’s identity was not released due to HIPPA Privacy Rules, which protect the privacy of individuals and any identifiable health issues or information.

Police notified District 47 at 10:35 a.m. that school activities could proceed as planned, and the temporary lockdown was lifted.