A SWAT team was called and arrested a knife-wielding suspect who was accused of stabbing a victim inside a home in the middle of the night, leading to a five-hour standoff in Gurnee Sunday morning.
The Gurnee Police Department and Gurnee Fire Department responded around 4 a.m. Sunday to the 3400 block of Florida Avenue in Gurnee for a report of a domestic battery.
Lake County Assistant State’s Attorney Savannah Halcomb said Maurice L. Freeman, 45, of Gurnee, is primarily homeless but occasionally resides at the home.
Officers spoke with the victim, who is Freeman’s family member, and he said he was sleeping downstairs in the house when Freeman came into the room, Halcomb said.
Gurnee Police Department Public Information Officer Sgt. Shawn Gaylor said Freeman had been making noise in the basement before entering his 22-year-old nephew’s room.
Freeman grabbed the victim by the hair and slashed him with a kitchen knife, Gaylor said.
The victim said Freeman was incoherent and waving the knife, Halcomb said.
Freeman caused a 3-4 inch laceration on the victim’s thigh, Halcomb said.
Gaylor said the 22-year-old was able to escape the residence and he declined medical treatment.
A standoff ensued with Freeman remaining inside the home and the Lake County Sheriff’s Office SWAT Team being activated due to “the reported assault, presence of a weapon, and Freeman’s refusal to surrender.”
Freeman was observed through the windows holding a knife and making stabbing motions.
Officers established a perimeter around the home and attempted to communicate with Freeman, repeatedly directing him to exit the residence, Gaylor said. Freeman did not comply.
Lake County Sheriff’s Office Chief Christopher Covelli said the SWAT team is a multi-jurisdictional team that consists of the sheriff’s office, Gurnee Police Department, Lincolnshire Police Department and Waukegan Police Department.
A felony arrest warrant was obtained for Freeman while the incident was ongoing.
Officers learned that a 15-year-old family member remained inside the home.
The SWAT team deployed a ladder to a second-floor bedroom window and safely rescued the juvenile from the residence.
Freeman was eventually taken into custody by around 10 a.m., almost six hours after the incident began.
SWAT officers forced entry to the home and located Freeman in the basement. He resisted efforts to take him into custody and a taser was deployed to subdue him.
The Gurnee Police Department did not respond to a request for comment on the incident, which drew heavy police activity, until Monday evening.
Freeman was charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, domestic battery causing bodily harm with a previous conviction and domestic battery physical contact with a previous conviction.
Gurnee Fire Department personnel evaluated Freeman and transported him to Vista Medical Center East in Waukegan with a Gurnee Police officer accompanying him.
He was medically cleared and booked at the police department and later transported to the Lake County Courthouse for a First Appearance Court hearing on Monday morning.
“This incident demonstrates the importance of strong partnerships between law enforcement agencies,” Gurnee Police Chief Jeremy Gaughan said.
“The Lake County Sheriff’s Office SWAT Team provided critical assistance that helped us safely remove a juvenile from the home and bring a dangerous situation to a safe conclusion. We appreciate their professionalism and partnership,” Gaughan said.
The Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office has filed a petition to detain Freeman pending trial.
“Our partnership with the Gurnee Police Department extends across several areas of public safety, from SWAT to our COaST initiative and other collaborative efforts. By pooling our resources, expertise, and personnel, we strengthen our ability to respond to challenging situations and better serve our communities,” Lake County Sheriff John D. Idleburg said.
“Yesterday’s operation is another example of the value of these partnerships and the importance of working together to keep people safe,” Idleburg said.
Freeman has a criminal history involving multiple incidents, with this being his at least third SWAT standoff in Gurnee in less than three years.
A SWAT team took Freeman into custody following an hours-long standoff after he attacked his mother with a metal pipe inside a senior living facility in Gurnee last September.
A SWAT team arrested Freeman and police rescued several children after Freeman entered the same residence on Florida Avenue in Gurnee and battered a child, leading to a standoff in December 2023.