A judge released a man pending trial after he was accused of threatening to physically harm the police chief and other officers in Woodstock and had to be arrested by a SWAT team.
The Woodstock Police Department and McHenry County Multi-Jurisdictional SWAT Team responded around 7 a.m. Friday to the 600 block of Brink Street in Woodstock serve a felony arrest warrant.
Woodstock Police Chief John Lieb said the subject of the warrant was Brandon M. Smith, 39, of Woodstock.
“Due to the threatening nature of statements previously made by the subject, and the possibility of the presence of at least one firearm, safety precautions were put in place prior to serving the warrant,” Lieb said.
A security perimeter with police personnel and police equipment was established.
Smith was taken into custody without incident after law enforcement announced their presence.
Lieb said Smith had been communicating, in the months leading up to the warrant, with members of the police department and city hall regarding his dissatisfaction with prior police interactions.
During the ongoing communications, Smith became increasingly hostile toward City of Woodstock staff and even threatened to commit physical harm, Lieb said.
A criminal complaint filed in McHenry County Circuit Court alleges Smith made a confrontational phone call to the police chief around 12 p.m. on March 5 where he said he would “knock out” Woodstock police officers who come to his residence and would “knock out” the police chief’s teeth.
The complaint said Smith left a voicemail containing a series of threats around 12 p.m. March 26 where he made references to “I am going to be aiming for them” and “If they come to my house again I will treat it as a threat and I will use violence against them.”
Smith also allegedly made reference during the voicemail that he would “do physical harm to them” and said, “I don’t care if it’s in public or on a call if those two officers come near me again I will take it as a personal threat and I will f—ing do harm defending myself,” according to the complaint.
Smith’s FOID card had been revoked previously due to a separate ongoing issue.
The Woodstock Police Department Investigations Division conducted an investigation and reviewed the case with the McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office due to the “increased volatility of the situation,” Lieb said.
Smith was charged with three counts of threatening a public official.
He was held in the McHenry County Jail following his arrest Friday and appeared in First Appearance Court over the weekend.
Prosecutors filed a petition to detain Smith pending trial, calling him a real and present threat to others.
McHenry County Judge Kevin Costello denied the petition and released Smith.
The judge ordered the man to surrender his firearms, complete an anger management evaluation and have no contact with the officers involved.
A status of preliminary hearing is scheduled for April 18.