Man charged with holding knife to woman's throat in north suburban Chicago area
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A man who was shot by police last week has been charged with taking a woman hostage and holding a knife to her throat in far north suburban Round Lake.
Gerzin Ramirez-Perez, 33, has been charged with one felony count of aggravated unlawful restraint and two misdemeanor counts of domestic battery.
The Lake County Major Crime Task Force said Round Lake police officers were called to a home in the 700 block of North Park Road on Wednesday evening. When they arrived, a woman outside the home told police a woman in the basement of the home needed help.
When police knocked on the door, the homeowner let them inside, and said there was a man and woman who lived in the basement. When offices approached the basement door, and looked through a basement window, they could see Ramirez-Perez holding a knife to the woman's neck.
Officers tried to de-escalate the situation, but the man refused to drop his knife or let the woman go, so police called in a SWAT team and Spanish linguists, who tried to negotiate with the man and the victim, who both speak Spanish.
"During their efforts, the man grew increasingly agitated and refused to drop the knife or follow any of the instructions," from police, according to the Lake County Major Crime Task Force.
Two members of the SWAT team shot Ramirez-Perez, who was holding the woman hostage, and were able to rescue her. Ramirez-Perez was taken to the hospital in critical condition, but is expected to survive. The 30-year-old woman was evaluated by paramedics for minor injuries, but did not go to the hospital.
Two knives were recovered at the scene.
Authorities have not said how Ramirez-Perez and the victim were related.
The Lake County Major Crime Task Force is investigating the officers' use of force.
Ramirez-Perez is being held at the Lake County Jail, and is due to appear in court Tuesday morning.
