AURORA (WBBM NEWSRADIO) - An Aurora man is fighting for his life after he was shot by police Sunday afternoon.
Aurora police said they received a call just after 10:30 a.m. Sunday that a man, armed with knives, was making threats toward family members at a home in the 900 block of Colorado Avenue.
“Officers made efforts to verbally deescalate the situation while issuing multiple commands for the subject to drop his weapons,” said Aurora Police Chief Keith Cross. “The subject then turned his attention to officers threatening to kill them.”
Police said officers again told the man to drop the knives. Officials claimed he charged at a cop near the home's garage.
“There was an attempt to not use deadly force,” said Cross. “Unfortunately, because of the subject's actions with him running towards the officer with the knives, things escalated.”
An officer shot the man, though it’s unclear how many times, and officials said they immediately began life-saving measures until paramedics arrived.
The man now remains in critical condition at AMITA Health Mercy Hospital.
Aurora police confirmed they've had previous contact with the home but wouldn't disclose the context. Cross said he doesn't believe the man had ever been arrested before.
Family members said it was a mental health situation that got out of hand.
Cross said when a mental health 911 call comes in, they'll typically send two officers and a crisis intervention team — but he said that wasn't the call they received Sunday morning.
“The call that came in was a person who was inside the residence, armed with knives, arguing with family members,” said Cross.
All police officers involved are now on administrative leave while the Kane County Major Crimes Task Force investigates.
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