Effingham Daily News, Effingham, IL

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  • School resource officers Daren Feldkamp, right, and Eric Higgs ave the corner of Park Street and Clark Avenue clocked while police investigate a report that an armed man entered a home in the 800 block of Park St. Bill Grimes

    Man with gun

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February 10, 2012

Man with gun surrenders without incident

Bill Grimes, Samantha Newburn Effingham Daily News

EFFINGHAM — Nobody was injured Thursday afternoon after police surrounded a home on the south side of Effingham in which a man was reportedly holed up with a gun.

    The man surrendered at about 3:30 p.m. after police from Effingham city and county, as well as Illinois State Police, surrounded the large two-story home at 801 S. Park St. Residents in the immediate vicinity of the home were evacuated, while police moved into position on street corners and in neighboring yards.

    “We secured a perimeter around the neighborhood,” said Effingham Police Detective Aaron Lange.

    Lange said school resource officers Daren Feldkamp and Eric Higgs of the Effingham County Sheriff’s Department were dispatched to the scene to reassure children in the vicinity that they would be safe. Also, students at nearby South Side School — many of whom live in the area where the incident occurred — were held in school until 3:30 p.m. while the scene was secured, Lange said.

    Effingham police Cpl. Matt Sager said the incident began at approximately 2:15 p.m. when authorities were notified that a man with a gun was located in a residence near the CSX railroad tracks on South Fifth Street. That residence was later identified as 801 S. Park St.

    Sager said it was unclear whether police would identify the man because of the possibility that criminal charges would not be filed. Scanner traffic indicated the man may have been suicidal.

     At around 2:45 p.m., officers asked dispatchers to locate the man through his cell phone. One cell phone was located in the home a few minutes later.

    Officers verified to dispatchers around 3:07 p.m. the subject was in the home with a handgun. Through the reverse emergency notification system, residents from South Fifth Street to the South Banker Street overpass and from the area of Southeastern Avenue to Clark Avenue were advised to evacuate their homes, according to scanner traffic.

    Four additional city police officers were called onto duty and dispatched to the scene a few minutes later.

    The man’s spouse told officers the subject was in the second-floor bedroom on the north side of the residence and could also be carrying a long gun, according to scanner traffic. Officers said one or two of the windows on the east side were open, but the curtains were closed.

    Officers indicated they were trying to contact the subject through his cell phone and speak with him, but they said they thought he was having trouble with his phone.

    At around 3:20 p.m., officers verified communication had been established with the subject and they asked him to come out of the house.

    The subject was in custody at 3:30 p.m. and was transported to St. Anthony’s Memorial Hospital in Effingham.

    Area residents were alerted through the reverse notification system around 3:40 p.m. the situation was under control and they could go back to their homes.

    Bill Grimes can be reached at 217-347-7151, ext. 132, or at bill.grimes@effinghamdailynews.com.

    Samantha Newburn may be reached at 217-347-7151 ext. 131 or samantha.newburn@effinghamdailynews.com.

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