Police on Tuesday arrested a man wanted for attempted murder of a police officer after he allegedly shot at a sheriff’s deputy with a rifle moments before deputies shot him near Harvard last month.
Randall B. Little, 58, of the 19900 block of Streit Road in Harvard, was charged on April 27 with armed violence, aggravated intimidation of a peace officer, two counts of felon in possession of a firearm, intimidation, threatening a public official, unlawful use of a weapon, two counts of aggravated assault and unauthorized possession of cannabis sativa plants.
He was additionally charged on Tuesday with attempted first-degree murder, a Class X felony.
Little was allegedly armed with a .300 caliber blackout short barrel rifle on April 1, according to a criminal complaint filed in McHenry County Circuit Court.
Little pointed the rifle at a McHenry County sheriff’s deputy and threatened to kill her if she did not leave his property, the complaint said.
Court documents initially said Little only pointed the gun at the deputy, but on Tuesday prosecutors approved an attempted murder charge against the man and investigators said in court documents that he did discharge the firearm.
The McHenry County Sheriff’s Office had responded to Little’s residence in the 19900 block of Streit Road in unincorporated Harvard around 8 p.m. that evening after receiving a call to check on the wellbeing of a subject.
The sheriff’s office said the “armed confrontation” resulted in deputies discharging their firearms, striking the man.
No deputies were injured during the incident.
Lifesaving measures were given to the man and he was transported by the Harvard Fire Protection District to Mercyhealth Hospital in Harvard, the sheriff’s office said.
He was then flown to Javon Bea Hospital in Rockford where he was in critical condition.
The McHenry County Major Investigation Assistance Team (MIAT) was requested to conduct an investigation into the incident.
Investigators also found Little in possession of more than 20 cannabis sativa plants, court documents show.
A warrant was issued on April 27 after prosecutors approved nearly a dozen felony charges against the man.
McHenry County Sheriff’s Deputy Kevin Byrnes said the sheriff’s office took Little into custody on Tuesday.
Little was arrested at a rehabilitation hospital in Rockford and transported to the McHenry County Jail.
McHenry County Judge Tiffany Davis ordered Little held on a $500,000 bond. He would need to post $50,000 cash in order to be released.