A Lake County Sheriff’s Deputy was hospitalized after being sprayed with a powerful bear spray at a home in Libertyville Monday morning. Several other deputies were also exposed to the bear spray.
This morning, Monday, January 12, 2026, at approximately 7:10 a.m., the Lake County Sheriff’s Crisis Outreach and Support Team (COaST), along with other deputies, were attempting to serve a mental health writ on a 41-year-old man in the 200 block of Pond Ridge Road, Libertyville.
A mental health writ is a court-ordered directive requiring law enforcement to take an individual into custody and transport them to a designated mental health facility for evaluation and care. In this case, the writ was issued following a petition to the court expressing concern for the individual’s safety and well-being. The petitioner reported the man was exhibiting concerning behavior, including paranoia, punching holes in the walls, lack of sleep, and unpredictable outbursts.
When deputies arrived, the man was inside his bedroom. Deputies spoke with him through the closed bedroom door in a calm and de-escalating manner. Deputies positioned outside the residence observed the man through a window and saw he was holding a hatchet. After continued communication, the man put the hatchet down.
As deputies entered the bedroom to take the man into custody, he suddenly grabbed a large canister of bear spray and sprayed deputies at close range without warning. One deputy was sprayed directly in the eyes.
Deputies utilized a TASER Conducted Energy Device (CED) and were able to subdue the man and take him into custody. The man was transported to an area hospital for treatment for his exposure to the bear spray and his erratic behavior.
The deputy who was sprayed at close range with the spray was transported to an area hospital for treatment. Six additional deputies were treated at the scene by paramedics and released.
While at the hospital, the man kicked a nurse. Lake County Sheriff’s deputies will be seeking criminal charges against the man for his actions at the home and at the hospital.
Sheriff John D. Idleburg said, “Our staff routinely place themselves in harm’s way while trying to help people during their most difficult moments. Mental health writs are inherently unpredictable, and this incident underscores those risks. I’m incredibly proud of the deputies on scene for remaining calm, professional, and focused on safety, and I am hoping for a fast recovery of our hospitalized deputy.”
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