Homeless Man Arrested After 4-Hour Standoff In Lake Bluff

LAKE BLUFF, IL — What began as an eviction notice turned into an hours-long standoff Thursday between Lake County Sheriff's Office deputies and a man who lived in a tent hidden in foliage for seven years, according to law enforcement.

At about 10 a.m., deputies were sent to a large commercial site in the 3600 block of Skokie Highway to enforce a court-ordered eviction. A section of the property is densely covered in foliage, officials said, and last summer the property owners discovered a concealed tent hidden in thick brush.

According to the sheriff's office, a man named Christopher J. Hermanson, 63 and experiencing homelessness, had been living in the tent for seven years.

"Despite being asked to leave, Hermanson refused, prompting the property owners to seek an eviction order," the sheriff's office said in a statement.

Deputies served Hermanson with an initial eviction notice in the fall, and while he verbally objected, he cooperated with law enforcement. Given the conditions of the property, law enforcement decided it would be safest to enforce the eviction in late winter or early spring.

When deputies arrived to enforce the final eviction notice on Thursday, they were reportedly met with shouting.

"When deputies arrived today to enforce it, he began shouting threats from inside the tent that he was armed and would kill them if they approached. Despite attempts to de-escalate, he repeatedly threatened harm, insisting the property belonged to him," the sheriff's office said.

The Tactical Response Team responded to the scene with K-9s. According to the sheriff's office, Hermanson also threatened to kill the dogs if they came close to him.

After approximately four hours, negotiators began issuing final warnings and ordered Hermanson to surrender. At about 2:10 p.m., Hermanson cut a hole in the tarp and emerged from the tent with a hammer while advancing toward the deputies, according to law enforcement.

"Deputies deployed a less-lethal beanbag shotgun, striking him and allowing TRT to take him into custody without further incident," officials said.

Paramedics brought Hermanson to a local hospital for treatment before he was released back into the sheriff's office's custody.