Man charged in Waukegan standoff

A Waukegan man was charged Saturday with several counts related to firearms after a standoff with police late Friday, police said.

Donald O. Palmer, 37, of the 300 block of George Avenue, was charged with aggravated battery with a firearm, aggravated discharge of a firearm, unlawful use of a weapon by a felon, unlawful possession of firearm ammunition by a felon, unlawful possession of a stolen firearm, obstruction of justice, and violation of parole, said Sgt. Dave DeBaufer. He is scheduled for a bond hearing at 9 a.m. today.

The standoff began when police surrounded an apartment building on the 300 block of George Avenue in Waukegan after a woman called 911 at 10:50 a.m. Friday and then hung up.

Police spoke with the woman, who had exited the building, and she was unhurt, but the suspect refused to come out. Officers were aware of an active arrest warrant for Palmer related to a shooting in the neighborhood a week earlier when a man was shot in the back.

Police evacuated the two other units in the three-flat. Area schools were put on lockdown about noon, and an emergency response team was called in through the Northern Illinois Police Alarm System, DeBaufer said.

At 7:40 p.m., numerous canisters of CS gas, similar to tear gas, were sent into the building in order to force Palmer out, DeBaufer said. NIPAS officers then entered the building and Palmer was taken into custody without injury to him or law enforcement personnel. A .22 caliber handgun was found by the tactical team that is believed to have been in Palmer's possession, police said.

The building was rendered temporarily uninhabitable due to the gas and the city of Waukegan made arrangements for all of the building's tenants to stay in an area hotel. Work to decontaminate the entire area and get people back into their homes continued Saturday, with residents expected to return later in the day, DeBaufer said.

Palmer was taken to the Waukegan Police Department where he faces charges related to last week's shooting as well as additional charges in Friday's standoff.

Palmer was paroled in March by the Illinois Department of Corrections after serving prison time for a previous robbery conviction. As a result of the recent events, Palmer's parole will likely be revoked and he will have to serve the additional time remaining on his original sentence in addition to any time he may receive for the current charges, DeBaufer said.

"The Waukegan Police Department is grateful to all of the personnel from the Waukegan Police Department as well as the personnel from NIPAS and neighboring cities, without whom this incident may have ended less favorably," Waukegan police said in a statement.