A Crystal Lake man was sentenced to five years in prison for his fifth domestic battery conviction in 10 years after he threw a knife at a woman, pushed her and led police on a standoff.
Matthew Looper, 34, of Crystal Lake, was charged in March 2023 with two counts of domestic battery enhanced, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, two counts of unlawful possession of a weapon and interfering with the reporting of domestic violence.
The Wonder Lake Police Department and McHenry County Sheriff’s Office responded on March 21, 2023, to reports of domestic violence.
Officers learned from witnesses on the scene that the incident began as a verbal argument between Looper and the victim.
Prosecutors said the incident escalated when Looper shoved the female victim.
The victim was uninjured and the incident escalated again when Looper retrieved knives from the nearby kitchen, prosecutors said.
A criminal complaint said Looper threw one of the knives at the victim’s head.
The victim and her elderly mother quickly called 911 and escaped the residence when law enforcement arrived, prosecutors said.
Officers confronted Looper, who was standing in the front doorway of the residence armed with two knives.
After securing the area and the safety of the witnesses, officers on the scene began crisis negotiations with Looper to try and de-escalate the situation, prosecutors said.
Law enforcement officers were ultimately able to convince Looper to surrender himself peacefully despite several suicidal statements.
The McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office said they take crimes of domestic violence “very seriously, as they often involve a repeated pattern of harm.”
Court records show Looper has four prior convictions for domestic battery, court records show. Those occurred in McHenry County in 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2020.
Looper pleaded guilty last week to enhanced domestic battery, a Class 2 felony, as part of a negotiated plea deal.
McHenry County Judge Tiffany Davis approved the plea and sentenced Looper to five years and six months in the Illinois Department of Corrections pursuant to the agreement.
Looper will be required to serve the sentence at 50% in accordance with truth-in-sentencing guidelines. He will receive 409 days of credit for time served awaiting trial.