Beach Park, IL – A 36-year-old woman was safely taken into care Friday evening after Lake County Sheriff’s Deputies de-escalated a dangerous standoff involving a machete outside her Beach Park residence.
According to the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded around 5:50 p.m. to the home after receiving a call from family members who reported the woman was threatening self-harm. When deputies arrived, the woman ran outside wielding a machete and confronted them before retreating into her backyard and making suicidal statements.
Deputies employed crisis intervention strategies and spoke calmly with the woman for more than 20 minutes, successfully persuading her to drop the weapon. She then walked unarmed with deputies to a waiting ambulance and was transported to a nearby hospital for mental health care.
Sheriff John D. Idleburg praised the efforts of the deputies involved saying, “Crisis intervention and de-escalation are skills our staff believe in and continually train for… Excellent job handling this intense situation.”
The department’s Crisis Outreach and Support Team (COaST), which includes officers from several local departments, continues to provide mental health assistance to those in need across Lake County.
Officials are reminding the public that support is available 24/7. Anyone experiencing a crisis can call or text 988, or contact the Lake County Crisis Care Line at 847-377-8088.
This article was produced by a journalist and may include AI-assisted input. All content is reviewed for accuracy and fairness.
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