Shots Fired, but No One Injured in Incident Wednesday in Mattoon

Shots were fired, but no one was injured Wednesday night during an incident involving a man armed with a gun in Mattoon.

Mattoon police officers were dispatched to the 2500 block of Commercial Avenue about 8:30pm regarding what was termed a "suicidal man in a house with a gun".

Two officers approached the home and spoke to the man briefly from outside the house. The suspect advised that he was armed and refused to exit the residence. The suspect inside then fire two gunshots. Officers backed away and called for additional help.

Additional officers from the Mattoon department, Charleston and Lake Land police and Coles County Sheriff's Department arrived. A perimeter was established and communications were established via telephone and squad car PA system, as the suspect frequently hung up the phone. The suspect, a 45-year-old man, expressed a desire to die by his own hand or be killed in a shootout with police. 

Negotiations ensued for 90 minutes and the suspect eventually surrendered and was taken into custody at 10:16pm by members of the Coles Response Team.

Mattoon police said the man was mentally distraught and was found to have been armed with a shotgun and numerous rounds of ammunition. Two shotgun blast holes were discovered in the living room ceiling of the home. The man was taken to Sarah Bush Lincoln Health Center and committed for psychiatric treatment.