A suspect who fired a gun and burglarized a gas station in Lake Zurich was taken into custody following an hours-long standoff that prompted a major SWAT response in Lake Zurich Saturday.
The Lake Zurich Police Department received a burglary alarm around 2:17 a.m. Saturday at the Casey’s convenience store, 650 South Rand Road in Lake Zurich.
Lake Zurich Deputy Police Chief Colin Gaffney said officers learned the suspect had fired a gun through a glass door to gain access.
Officers found the business had been burglarized after the suspect made entry through the front of the store.
Officers were able to identify the suspect as Merrick A. Pollack, 47, of Lake Zurich, Gaffney said.
The Lake Zurich Police Department responded around 11 a.m. Saturday to a residence in the area of Whitney Road and Route 22 to apprehend Pollack.
Surrounding residents were reportedly evacuated amid the active situation.
The Northern Illinois Police Alarm System (NIPAS) Emergency Services Team (EST) was activated to respond due to Pollack being armed and barricaded, Gaffney said.
The activation prompted a heavy police and SWAT response that converged on the area.
The Lake Zurich Fire Rescue Department was also placed on standby and staged nearby.
Pollack was inside his mobile home in the 200 block of Whitney Road in the South Shore Village subdivision.
“We are asking the public to avoid the area while the investigation continues,” the village said in a statement.
The Elgin Police Department’s SWAT team also responded to the scene to assist NIPAS EST.
Police worked for hours to attempt to take Pollack into custody before finally doing so just before 5 p.m.
Gaffney said NIPAS spent several hours negotiating with Pollack before taking him into custody without further incident.
SWAT teams appeared to have forced entry to the residence to arrest Pollack.
Bystanders heard loud bangs from the scene. One bystander said it sounded like gunshots, but officials have not confirmed whether any shots were fired.
Pollack was transported to a hospital with minor injuries and remains in the custody of the Lake Zurich Police Department.
Lake Zurich firefighters assisted with ventilating the house after the standoff ended.
One of Pollack’s neighbors told Lake & McHenry County Scanner that he began living in the subdivision around March 2025.
The neighbor heard police using loudspeakers to order Pollack to surrender.
The neighbor did not recall seeing police activity at Pollack’s mobile home before Saturday.
Officers were expected to remain in the area for additional time as the investigation continued.
The burglary occurred approximately a quarter-mile to the south of where the police standoff happened.