A judge has denied pre-trial release for a 74-year-old man accused of firing shots toward his wife, leading to a nine-hour standoff that ended with a SWAT team arresting him in Johnsburg.
Timothy F. Mumford, 74, of Johnsburg, was initially charged last week with reckless discharge of a firearm, a Class 4 felony, and reckless conduct endangering safety, a Class A misdemeanor.
An additional charge was filed on Friday of aggravated discharge of a firearm, a Class 1 felony.
The Johnsburg Police Department and McHenry County Sheriff’s Office responded around 11:08 p.m. on November 14 to the 3600 block of Fillmore Road in Johnsburg for a report of shots fired.
Police officials said it was reported that Mumford was shooting a gun inside a residence.
An initial criminal complaint filed in McHenry County Circuit Court said Mumford fired the gun “multiple times” in a reckless manner.
The man’s actions endangered the safety of his wife, who was also inside their house at the time, the complaint said.
A subsequent criminal complaint filed Friday alleged Mumford fired the gun in the direction of his wife.
Court documents said prior to Mumford firing the gun, he told his wife she would be hearing a “popping.”
The complaint said Mumford knew his wife was inside the room behind the wall where he discharged the firearm into.
Multiple other police departments were called to assist and the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office SWAT Team also responded.
The sheriff’s office issued an alert around 11:45 p.m. asking area residents in the Claremont Hills subdivision to shelter in place.
Mumford, along with his wife, were still inside the residence when officers arrived, according to police radio traffic.
The woman was able to get out of the home while Mumford remained inside, leading to a lengthy standoff.
Officers and deputies surrounded the home and waited for the SWAT team to arrive.
Johnsburg School District 12 announced that schools in the district would be closed for the day due to the incident. Classes resumed last Thursday.
Johnsburg Interim Police Chief Jason Greenwald said the nine-hour standoff came to an end around 8 a.m. when the SWAT team took Mumford into custody.
Greenwald said negotiators worked for several hours at the scene before officers moved in to make the arrest.
A nearby awaiting ambulance was seen moving up to the scene to evaluate the man.
Paramedics transported Mumford to a local hospital likely for mental health treatment, Greenwald said.
The shelter-in-place order was lifted after the man was taken into custody.
No shots were fired by police during the incident, Greenwald said. Mumford was transported to the McHenry County Jail on Saturday.
An initial court hearing took place on Monday but was continued to Tuesday.
The McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office filed a petition to detain Mumford, calling him a real and present threat to the safety of the community.
McHenry County Judge Jennifer Johnson granted the petition and ordered Mumford held in the McHenry County Jail pending trial.
“No conditions can properly mitigate the danger to the victim and community in light of the lethality of Mr. Mumford’s alleged actions coupled with his untreated mental health condition,” Johnson said in her decision to detain Mumford.
Court documents said Mumford has an untreated mental illness, which led him to believe that the CIA or terrorists were in the vicinity of his home and resulted in him calling the police prior to the shooting and standoff.
The judge found a bona fide doubt as to Mumford’s fitness for trial and ordered a fitness examination.
The next court date in the case is set for Monday for a status of attorney hearing and status of evaluation hearing.