A Lake County sheriff’s deputy was hospitalized and six other deputies were treated after a man armed with a hatchet sprayed them with bear spray as they served a court order in Libertyville Monday morning.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office Crisis Outreach and Support Team (COaST) and sheriff’s deputies attempted to serve a mental health writ around 7:10 a.m. Monday in the 200 block of Pond Ridge Road in Libertyville.
A mental health writ is a court-ordered directive requiring law enforcement to take an individual into custody and transport them to a designated mental health facility for evaluation and care.
The writ was issued following a petition to the court expressing concern for a 41-year-old man’s safety and well-being, according to Lake County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Chief Christopher Covelli.
The petitioner reported the man was exhibiting concerning behavior, including paranoia, punching holes in the walls, lack of sleep and unpredictable outbursts.
Deputies arrived and found the man inside his bedroom.
Deputies spoke with him through the closed bedroom door in a calm and de-escalating manner, Covelli said.
Deputies positioned outside the residence observed the man through a window and saw that he was holding a hatchet.
Covelli said the man eventually put the hatchet down and deputies entered the bedroom to take him into custody.
He suddenly grabbed a large canister of bear spray and sprayed deputies at close range without warning. One deputy was sprayed directly in the eyes, Covelli said.
Deputies used a taser and were able to subdue the man and take him into custody.
The man was transported to an area hospital for treatment for his exposure to the bear spray and his erratic behavior.
Covelli said the deputy who was sprayed at close range with the spray was transported to an area hospital for treatment.
Six additional deputies who were exposed to the chemical agent were treated at the scene by paramedics and released.
The man kicked a nurse while he was at the hospital, Covelli said.
“Our staff routinely place themselves in harm’s way while trying to help people during their most difficult moments. Mental health writs are inherently unpredictable, and this incident underscores those risks,” Lake County Sheriff John D. Idleburg said.
“I’m incredibly proud of the deputies on scene for remaining calm, professional, and focused on safety, and I am hoping for a fast recovery of our hospitalized deputy,” Idleburg said.
Sheriff’s deputies will be seeking criminal charges against the man for his actions at the home and at the hospital.