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Hostage scenario resolved after three hours in White City
The Macoupin County Sheriff’s Department
A well-being check in White City this afternoon was escalated into a hostage situation after Macoupin County Sheriff Deputies arrived on scene and witnessed a man, who was seen in the area earlier with a gun, retreat inside the residence. The man is supposedly known by the male homeowner.
The suspect was detained and arrested nearly three hours later without incident.
The homeowner’s wife called 911 around 2:15 this afternoon to have authorities confirm the well-being of her husband at their residence on Oak Creek Trail in White City after the armed man was looking for her husband earlier in the day. After arriving on-scene at 2:44 p.m., Macoupin County Sheriff Deputies saw the man in question retreat inside the home from the garage after he noticed authorities.
Macoupin County Sheriff Shawn Kahl told The BenGil Post he told his deputies to stand down while more units were in transit after it was reported the man was seen carrying a gun earlier in the day. Sheriff Kahl said he requested assistance from the ILEAS SWAT team, Illinois State Police and many nearby local agencies.
[pullquote]Sheriff Kahl closed by saying he believes the incident was stemmed from a drug-related activity[/pullquote]Upon arrival of additional personnel, authorities immediately cordoned the scene and setup a perimeter while other authorities stopped all traffic in the area by closing Exit 44 of I-55 and White City bottoms. Both closures were reopened by 6:15 p.m.
A temporary staging area was established at the White City pavilion. Sheriff Kahl was heard over the police scanner communicating between the hostage scene and the staging area.
EMS units were also dispatched to station near the hostage scene for standby. Authorities at the scene directed dispatchers to call Mt. Olive schools to inform them of the temporary road closures, but the officer talking to the dispatcher over the police radio told the dispatcher not to inform the school of specifics.
“No one is inside the residence,” Sheriff Kahl told The BenGil Post this evening over the phone while authorities were searching the residence. “We are being told there was another male who had an encounter with our suspect at the scene, but was transported away from the scene by a female before we arrived. He does not want to be found. We are actively tracking him down.”
Sheriff Kahl closed by saying he believes the incident stemmed from a drug-related activity according to the evidence found at the scene. Following the search of the residence, the suspect was the only individual at the scene.
The situation is still under investigation and Kahl anticipates the suspect who was arrested this evening will be charged tomorrow, March 11.
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Another major winter storm is forecasted to blanket the BenGil area in heavy rains, flooding and snowfall starting Wednesday night through Thursday.
The mixture of precipitation and rapidly changing weather likely will produce the potential for sudden icing on roads, with high winds leading to blowing snow and reduced visibility.
“The Illinois Department of Transportation’s snow-and-ice teams will be prepared and out in force, but the public needs to be ready for conditions to change quickly and worsen if they are out on the roads,” said Illinois Transportation Secretary Omer Osman. “As always during periods of extreme weather, the safest option is to postpone any unnecessary trips and stay home. If you must travel, prepare for very slow and potentially hazardous conditions. And please slow down around our plows and other emergency vehicles, giving them plenty of room to do their jobs.”
The National Weather Service is predicting a wintry mix of precipitation to start with thunderstorms and heavy rain in much of the state this evening, converting to freezing rain overnight before turning to snow Thursday morning. In addition to localized flooding, ice and sleet accumulations are likely, creating extremely slippery surfaces and slick conditions.
Due to the rainy conditions ahead of temperatures falling overnight, the effectiveness of pretreating and salting surfaces in advance of significant snowfall will be limited. The public should anticipate icy conditions even when roads appear clear and greatly reduce speeds.
“As the Illinois State Police plans to take on the unpredictable Illinois weather, we would like to remind motorists to do their part in keeping the roads a safe place,” said Illinois State Police Director Brendan F. Kelly. “ISP, alongside IDOT and other agencies, will be working in hazardous weather conditions. Please remember to slow down, stay vigilant and move over for ANY vehicle on the side of the road.”
Statewide, IDOT has available more than 1,800 trucks and equipment to plow, treat roads and respond to weather emergencies. If you encounter a plow or any maintenance vehicle during your travels, please slow down, increase your following distance and remain patient. Do not attempt to pass – conditions in front of the plow will be worse than behind it.
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Police are investigating the death of a Bunker Hill woman who was found dead at the end of her driveway near the roadway on Monday morning, January 31.
Nancy Blycker, 91, had multiple injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene, according to police. The Macoupin County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call to the 2900 block of Wood Hill Lane around 7:40 a.m. on Monday.
The initial suspicion was homicide, according to a release by the Major Case Squad of Greater St. Louis who said approximately 20 investigators were working the investigation, but the autopsy contradicted that suspicion.
The Major Case Squad said on Tuesday it is “highly unlikely” Blycker’s death was the “result of homicidal means.”
The Major Case Squad turned the case back over to the Macoupin County Sheriff’s Department. The official cause of death is pending further lab analysis.
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The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Warning for the BenGil area, southwestern Illinois, and the St. Louis area.
The warning was issued early Tuesday taking effect at midnight tonight until noon on Thursday, February 3 calling for a “wet, heavy” snow. The forecast also calls for ice prompting a warning about possible power outages.
“All indications continue to point to a disruptive, impactful, and dangerous winter storm impacting the region starting late tonight and lasting through Thursday night,” the National Weather Service said in its Area Forecast Discussion.
The BenGil area is expected to receive heavy mixed precipitation including snow accumulations between 6 and 10 inches, sleet accumulations around three-quarters of an inch, and ice accumulations around two-tenths of an inch. Wind gusts will be as high as 35 mph on Thursday.
The storm is expected to start with rain most of the day today before transitioning into a mixture of freezing rain and/or sleet Tuesday night, then all snow Wednesday morning or as late as Wednesday afternoon continuing until about noon on Thursday.
