Police still seeking battery suspect

Evanston police are still seeking someone described as an emotionally disturbed individual who is a suspect in a battery incident Friday morning that led to the lockdown of Evanston schools Friday afternoon.

The incident began about 11 a.m. Friday when officers responded to report of a potentially emotionally disturbed individual involved in a battery in the 900 block of Michigan Avenue.

Police Cmdr. Ryan Glew says initial investigation indicated that the battery suspect may have been armed and may have either fled the scene before officers arrived or returned to a unit inside the apartment building on the block where the suspect lived.

Glew says no shots were fired in the battery incident, but the presence of firearms inside the home and the apparent emotional state of the individual prompted police to call for a soft lockdown of Lincoln Elementary School, a block from the battery scene.

That was then expanded to include all Evanston K-12 schools and daycare centers after the police investigation indicated the suspect may have entered the downtown area.

Neighboring departments and the Northern Illinois Police Alarm System were called to assist with the investigation.

The soft lockdowns were lifted for most schools about 2:30 p.m. and for the schools closest to the scene by shortly after 3:30 p.m.

Late in the afternoon NIPAS officers made entry into the person’s apartment and discovered the suspect wasn’t there.

Glew says police do not believe there is a danger to the general public, but community members are encouraged to contact the Evanston Police Department at 911 to report any safety issues or suspicious behavior.