Barricade Situation in Crestwood Ends Peacefully

CRESTWOOD, IL — A standoff ended peacefully in Crestwood after a man barricaded himself inside an apartment building for several hours Wednesday afternoon, police said. The man was familiar to officers and is reportedly on his way to receive a psychological evaluation.

Crestwood police responded to a disturbance call around 1:30 p.m. at an apartment building in the 12700 block of south Central Avenue. Police said officers learning that a tenant who had been evicted had returned to his apartment. The man reportedly became agitated and upset when he found workers cleaning the unit.

The man demanded that the cleaning crew leave his apartment and started to push one of the workers, police said. After a brief scuffle, police said the man displayed what appeared to be a gun and made several statements about being willing to shoot the workers.

The cleaning crew fled the apartment and call the police. Officers on the scene said they were familiar with the man from prior calls, who they believe suffers from a mental illness. Residents in the building were evacuated and surrounding streets were closed off. The Cook County Hostage Barricade Team came to assist.

For the next several hours, officers tried to establish communication with the man, who police said eventually surrendered around 5 p.m. without incident. Officers provided the man with a cell phone, according to a source. After several attempts to communicate with the suspect, he eventually surrendered without incident. It was later learned that the weapon that was displayed was only a replica.

There were no injuries. The investigation is ongoing. Police said the man is undergoing a psychological evaluation.