Often revered to be the best among police officers, members of the SWAT team not only go through a grueling process to secure a spot on the elite force, but that is just the start as they routinely train, hoping to strengthen their skills. But on Monday, members of the Chicago SWAT team were somewhat stunned when a civilian casually walked into their training session and started grabbing weapons used by the officers. Confused initially, the SWAT team quickly reacted, eventually shooting the individual. Luckily, none of the police officers were shot during the altercation, and the suspect was quickly detained and moved to a nearby hospital for treatment.

According to Police Superintendent David Brown, the suspect didn’t simply walk into where the training session was taking place as the officers were practicing nearly five stories up. The suspect climbed a fire escape up five stories before finding a door ajar. Brown explained that the door the individual gained entry at was open to let more ventilation get to the area. “These were guns that were being watched. Obviously, someone coming from a stairwell outside startled everyone. Who is this person? Is this person associated with the training? We do have live actors sometimes who come in plainclothes.”

Go Ad-Free, Get Exclusive Shows and Content, Go Premium Today - $1 Trial

Brown added that the guns grabbed by the suspect were not loaded at the time, but he didn’t know that as he pointed the weapons at police officers. Although watching a person climb five stories to grab two weapons and point them at police is unusual, Brown noted how this wasn’t their first interaction with the individual. Supposedly, the man first walked into the police department wanting to know where he could retrieve personal property taken by the police. Once he got the information he wanted, he left. But as mentioned above, this wasn’t the end, as video footage caught the suspect returning to the building and quickly climbing the fire escape.

Not much information was given on the man, other than the fact that he was 47 years old and from Waukegan, Illinois. Being treated for injuries not life-threatening, one officer was also transported to the hospital and treated for a sprained ankle. An investigation into the altercation is still ongoing.

As the situation unfolded, other officers moved to protect the area as they had no idea what the man wanted or what his intentions were. Even a nearby school was placed on lockdown as the officers secured the situation.

Users online voiced their opinion about the spike in crime in Chicago, stating, “Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot says crime in Chicago is down. Sounds like someone seeking reelection. People riding the CTA getting hit over the head with a wine bottle attempted kidnapping, and let’s not forget the daily shootings in and around the city. Darren Bailey called the city a hellhole, perhaps the only true comment he’s ever made. Perhaps Elvis Presley said it best when he recorded his song ‘In the Ghetto.’”

The opinions expressed by contributors and/or content partners are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of DrewBerquist.com. Contact us for guidelines on submitting your own commentary.