Oak Forest Standoff Ends in Suicide: Police

An Oak Forest man shot and killed himself Saturday, despite an hour of police crisis intervention, police said.

Andrew Abramovitz, 47, of the 5700 block of Lancaster St., sent a text message to his sister, alluding that he would commit suicide and that she should bring police to the house. He told officers he had no reason to live, and warned that he had a gun.

Police attempted to subdue Abramovitz, engaging him in conversation for more than an hour, police said in a release. Abramovitz declared he had no reason to live, and flashed a handgun. He fired two shots, one self-inflicted believed to have caused minor injury, police said. Abramovitz then fired a second shot, into his chest. An officer Tasered Abramovitz to incapacitate him.

Oak Forest Fire Department paramedics had been staged in the area and were called into the house. Abramovitz was transported o Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where he was pronounced dead from his injuries.

A week earlier, the man’s sister had contacted the Oak Forest Police concerned about her brother and his well-being as they had not heard from him for a week. The sister and police went to the house and Abramovitz as verbally hostile and refused any treatment at that time.

Chief Gregory Anderson commented that preliminary information indicates that the officers followed department policies when confronted by the situation.

“All too often law enforcement must encounter people that have psychological stress and the officers had to deal with and witness this tragedy,” Anderson said. “Our sympathy goes out to Andrew’s family.”

The Oak Forest Police Department is conducting the investigation, assisted by the Illinois State Police Crime Scene Unit who is processing the incident scene. The Cook County Medical Examiner’s office will conduct an autopsy and their findings will be a part of the investigation.