CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- A man was found dead inside a building in Humboldt Park after a more than 12-hour standoff with a police SWAT team Friday.
The man had been seen waving what appeared to be guns as he climbed up and down a makeshift tower atop a building in the 4100 block of West Chicago Avenue. He also yelled racist threats and obscenities at police.
Police were called to the area shortly before 9 a.m. and closed nearby streets while they attempted to talk to the man.
Sometimes he waved at people gathered below or used a siren to drown out what an officer was saying over a bullhorn. At times he sat on a lawn chair on the middle level of the tower.
Several flags flew from the scaffolding, including an American flag displayed upside down and one featuring a smiley face. Neighbors said he has also flown a Nazi flag.
“I saw the white power flag up there, it’s just ridiculous,” said Abraham Simmons, 43, whose mother lives only a few blocks away.
According to Simmons, the building was used for events and had recently been undergoing construction.
“I’m not sure who owns the building but clearly they don’t have a problem with the flags up there, it’s like they’re invisible,” Simmons said.
After officers arrived, the man entered the building “and refused to exit the premises,” Chicago police said in a statement issued shortly before 2 a.m. Saturday.
“SWAT officers made entry into the building and discovered a male adult deceased on scene,” said police, who didn’t say what time officers made entry and found the man.
Area detectives are investigating.
(Source: Sun-Times Media Wire & Chicago Sun-Times 2023. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
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