st. CHARLES, Illinois – A 41-year-old man who was fatally injured by police after wielding a chainsaw and attacking a resident inside a St. Charles nursing home was under the influence of methamphetamine, according to newly released information from the Kane County Law Office.
The Kane County State Lawyer's office completed an investigation into the Dec. 1 case on the Glen River at St. Charles Assist Living Center, and “St. Charles Police Officer had a reasonable belief that the fatal force he employed was necessary to prevent death or serious harm to himself or other individuals,” the prosecutor said Tuesday.
According to a report from Toxicology, Daniel H. Escalella, 41, of Stockwell, Indiana, is under the influence of schizophrenia, methamphetamine and olanzapine. It is a drug used to treat schizophrenia and is used around December 1st when it entered the 900 block of North 5th Avenue.
Police were first called to the facility to report a shirtless man with a chainsaw and trying to cut down a tree on his property, police said.
As part of an investigation into the shooting involving police, the state's attorney's office looked into body-worn camera audio and video recordings, statements of events from witnesses, physical evidence from the shooting scene, and autopsy results.
“Based on that investigation, the state's attorney's office has not found any fraud on the part of the officers and the review of the matter is now considered to be closed,” the prosecutor said Tuesday.
Authorities released a lot of information on the incident on Tuesday, detailing the timeline of the events that led to the shooting.
According to the state's lawyer's office, the elderly officer arrived at a nursing home where he had contacted Escalella, who was close to several residents and was inside the facility at the doorway to the cafeteria.
Officers displayed his taser and ordered the chainsaw to drop Escalella. However, according to a news release, Escalella entered the cafeteria and launched a chainsaw.
The officer unfolded the taser, shocking Escalella to her chest. Authorities say he was temporarily knocked down before he stood up, grabbed a chainsaw and ran towards the police.
The officers retreated into the lobby and joined by a second officer from the St. Charles Police Station. Both officers quickly returned to the cafeteria, and a third party chased Escalella through the secondary doorway of the cafeteria, and eventually returned to the lobby, where Escalella grabbed a chainsaw over his head and charged towards the police.
The officer fired two shots, both of which missed Escalella. Escalella encounters another officer and attacks him with a chainsaw and drops the chainsaw. Officers fired a third shot as Escalella escaped into the hallway and slapped him with his left forearm, authorities said.
Upon reaching the hallway, Escalella stopped short of the elderly resident in a wheelchair, turned towards the officer and placed her hand in front of her in a position that appeared to mimic holding the firearm, authorities said. The officer fired a fourth shot of escalella in the chest.
Escalella collapsed to the floor and officers handcuffed him before quickly providing treatment for the gunshot wound. Paramedics also provided “life support measures,” according to a news release.
Escalella was taken to Delner Hospital, where she was declared dead. The coroner's office determined that his death was multiple gunshot wounds.
The video of the event is open to the public and can be found by clicking https://ispvideos.illinois.gov… This video was released after consultation and approval with a Kane County State lawyer. Illinois State Police provided Escalella's family with the opportunity to review the video before it was released.
