A 25-year-old Skokie man who police say was stripping copper wiring from a vacant home on Asbury Avenue has been charged with burglary, resisting arrest and aggravated assault after a confrontation Tuesday in which he allegedly threatened officers with what turned out to be a BB-gun.
Police Cmdr. Joseph Dugan says officers were called to the home at 1308 Asbury Ave. shortly before 2 p.m. after a neighbor noticed the garage and back door open at the home in the Ridge Historic District.
Dugan says the officers found Cunnea-Lamerdin and tried to take him into custody, but he resisted arrest. One officer used his Taser to try to gain control of the man but failed. Then, Dugan says, Cunnea-Lamerdin brandished the weapon, which led the other officer to fire his gun.
Cunnea-Lamerdin managed to flee to another part of the home and then out the back door, where, Dugan says, another officer who had responded to the scene saw Cunnea-Lamerdin fleeing through the back yard with the gun still in his hand and fired two more shots at him. Cunnea-Lamerdin then dropped the gun, Dugan says, but continued to flee westbound on foot. He was taken into custody in the 1300 block of Greenwood Street.
Cunnea-Lamerdin, of 4916 Fargo in Skokie, who was not injured, was transported to the Evanston Police Department.
Dugan says the officers involved were shaken up, but were not physically injured.
The Cook County State’s Attorney’s felony review unit now has approved a felony burglary charge against Cunnea-Lamerdin as well as two counts of misdemeanor aggravated assault to a police officer with a firearm and two counts of misdemeanor resisting a peace officer.
Cunnea-Lamerdin was on parole and the Illinois Department of Corrections issued a parole violation warrant for him.
The Evanston Police Department Office of Professional Standards is continuing its internal use of force investigation into the incident.
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Shots fired as cops nab burglary suspect on Asbury (4/19/16)
