Palos Hills Police Resolve Tense Standoff With Armed Man

It was just after 1 p.m. on Friday, June 15 when dispatchers sent police officers to Theresa Circle for a suspicious circumstances call. 

When police arrived they found an 83-year-old man sitting in the grass behind a building waving a gun. Keeping their distance, officers attempted to talk to the man. 

He shouted at the officers to, "shoot him, or he will shoot them," police said.

After a few moments the officers on the scene were able to calm the man down. He told them that he was old and couldn't do anything anymore and wanted to end his life, police said.

Eventually police were able to convince the elderly man to put down his gun in the grass. Officers continued to engage him in conversation as they cautiously approached, police said.

Once they were close enough, an officer stepped on the man's gun while two others wrestled him away.

An ambulance that was waiting nearby in a staging area transported the man to Palos Community Hospital.

In a written statement, Police Chief Paul Madigan remarked on the compassionate way the responding officers handled the incident.

"This could have gone horribly bad had it not been for some very good police work," Madigan said.  

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