Police fatally shoot man who reportedly displayed fake gun in Highwood

A Highwood police officer shot and killed a man who brandished a replica firearm on Thursday evening, according to a press release from the Lake County Major Crime Task Force, the organization investigating the shooting.

According to the release, police were called to the 200 block of Morgan Place in Highwood to check on a “highly intoxicated” and in distress. The man reportedly had locked himself in a bathroom with officers attempting to speak with him for “several minutes.”

The man then reportedly said he was armed and he “hoped officers were wearing their vests” before “abruptly” exiting the bathroom and pointing what appeared to be a pistol toward the officers.

The release says an officer shot the man, who was transported to an area hospital and pronounced dead.

The initial investigation shows the man’s apparent firearm was a “replica pistol,” according to the release.

The officer who fired his weapon reportedly was transported to the hospital for evaluation.

Stay tuned to The Record North Shore as this story develops.

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