A 35-year-old Naperville man who allegedly threatened workers in his building with a machete Wednesday afternoon was ultimately subdued by the Naperville Police Special Response Team after a prolonged stand-off.
According to police, on Wednesday at approximately 2:03pm a 9-1-1 call was received reporting that a man had brandished a machete in a threatening way outside a multi-unit residential building on the 300 block of North Charles Avenue in Naperville.
Numerous police officers responded to the scene and learned that the suspect, a resident, had allegedly advanced on two building employees while armed with a machete. The victims ran into the building and sheltered in a maintenance room, after which the suspect pursued them and unsuccessfully attempted to gain entry to the room by striking the door with the machete. The suspect eventually retreated into his apartment where he remained barricaded for several hours.
Officers made numerous unsuccessful attempts to contact the suspect, at which point officers trained in crisis negotiations responded to the scene. They were soon joined by members of the Naperville Police Department’s Special Response Team.
After several hours of unsuccessful attempts to negotiate, a tactical plan involving a drone was put into place. The suspect allegedly disabled the drone and threw it from an apartment window, damaging it. Ultimately, officers ultimately deployed a distraction device into the apartment, after which O’Neill exited and was taken into custody without further incident.
No injuries were reported.
The suspect has been charged with Criminal Damage to Government Supported Property, a Class 3 felony; two counts of Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon, a Class A misdemeanor; Reckless Conduct, a Class A misdemeanor; Criminal Damage to Property, a Class A misdemeanor; and Disorderly Conduct, a Class C misdemeanor.
