Man barricaded in Dirksen Federal Building taken by ambulance after 9-hour standoff

Man barricaded in Dirksen Federal Building taken by ambulance after 9-hour standoff

A man reportedly armed with a knife and barricaded in the lobby of the Dirksen Federal Building was transported by ambulance Tuesday evening following an hours-long standoff.

CHICAGO - Following a nine-hour standoff at the Dirksen Federal Building, a knife-wielding man — who prompted a lockdown and evacuation at the courthouse — was disarmed by tactical officers and taken by ambulance Tuesday evening.

What we know:

The FBI and Chicago police responded to the federal courthouse, located at 219 S. Dearborn St., around 11 a.m. for an "undisclosed incident." The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the U.S. Marshals Service were also on scene. 

The armed man, who has not been identified, entered the lobby of the federal courthouse on Tuesday morning with a knife to his neck, causing a lockdown.

For hours, he was seen pacing in the lobby while wearing a light-colored backpack. Throughout the day, FBI negotiators were engaged in conversations with the man. 

Outside, officers in tactical gear were seen positioning themselves around the building. Authorities also conducted a thorough search of a silver Chevrolet Impala with Nebraska license plates that was parked near the building in front of a fire hydrant. The vehicle was towed from the scene just before 8 p.m.

Slowly but surely, the building was evacuated using a back exit.

At one point on Tuesday afternoon, the bomb squad sent a rover in.

As investigators started losing daylight, the situation remained largely the same, with the armed man pacing the lobby with the knife held to his throat. By 7 p.m., the man held a handwritten sign up to window that said, "Call a Lawyer."

The situation came to an end just after 8 p.m., when officers in tactical gear positioned themselves around the man and disarmed him. 

He was taken from the scene in an ambulance. The extent of his injuries is unknown at this time, but he was awake and alert when he was taken out of the building on a stretcher. 

What they're saying:

Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI, released the following statement on Wednesday.

"Federal agents courageously put their lives on the line every day to keep our communities safe from harm. I remain grateful that this situation resolved without incident, thanks to the heroic efforts of law enforcement professionals, and in particular, the U.S. Marshals Service and the FBI's SWAT and Crisis Negotiations Teams. The dedicated agents who comprise these highly trained teams ensure that when dangerous situations occur, everyone affected has the best probability of returning home safely."

Meanwhile, a group of high school students were in the courthouse for the first day of orientation for the program, 'Supreme Court and My Hometown,' when the situation unfolded. 

"We were having lunch, and she texted us saying that there is a lockdown in the building," said Baltasar Perez, whose daughter was inside. "We were a little worried, so we came to see what was happening."

Perez's daughter, Delilah, attends Marist High School and earned a spot in the program. She is an aspiring attorney. 

"I got here at around 8:30 a.m., everything was going fine, we went through security like normal," Delilah explained. 

But the group was meeting with a judge, when she shared what happened next: "Lights did go off and the loudspeaker came on, 'they're investigating a threat on the first floor,' is all we heard, kind of confused, turned around, got distracted."

The students were safely brought out of the building by 3 p.m.

What's next:

Neither police nor the FBI have provided any further details on the incident.

The U.S. Marshals Service is leading this investigation.