US sheriff deputies responding to distress call shot at, suspect wounded

Three sheriff’s deputies were shot on Wednesday while responding to a northern Illinois home, and the suspect was also wounded, authorities said.

Ogle County Sheriff Brian VanVickle said the deputies were responding to a report that someone inside the home in the Lost Lake community near Dixon was threatening to kill themselves or others. He said the suspect was also shot. He did not provide any information about the suspect, including name, age or where the person lives.

VanVickle said a family member called police shortly after 8:30 am to report the threats from someone at the home. He said negotiators tried to reach the person by phone and decided to go inside shortly before noon.

“Immediately upon entering the house, our deputies received fire from inside the house”, he said.

VanVickle initially tried to walk away from reporters after giving a statement without more details, but responded to shouted questions by saying everyone injured “is in good condition”.

A spokesperson at Katherine Shaw Bethea Hospital in Dixon said three people were taken to the hospital’s emergency department, two of whom were treated and released. The spokesperson did not release the condition of the third person.

The Illinois State Police will handle the investigation of the shooting, VanVickle said. The agency did not immediately respond to an email from The Associated Press seeking comment.

Aerial video by local media on Wednesday afternoon showed law enforcement and private cars parked on the side of unpaved roads throughout the neighbourhood and officials occasionally gathering in small groups but little ongoing activity. Yellow police tape blocked at least one driveway and an Ogle County sheriff’s mobile command centre was parked at the end of the drive.

Lost Lake’s property owner’s association describes the area as a “country style community” with about 700 owners in an unincorporated area close to the cities of Dixon, Franklin Grove and Oregon, about 100 miles (160 kilometers) west of Chicago.