Man Arrested After Standoff Hoax Could Face Charges

UPDATED Friday, 4:48 p.m.

The man believed to be behind what appears to be a barricade hostage hoax is undergoing psychological evaluation and could face serious charges — as well as the wrath of Mayor Hank Kuspa.

Mark Fitch, 44, was taken into custody after the purported standoff situation that involved about 100 police officers and emergency staff from Oak Forest and 20 surrounding suburbs Thursday night. The original call came into police as a man reportedly intoxicated, threatening harm to himself and others, with firearms in his possession.

After five hours of negotiations and attempts at contact with Fitch, police blasted the house at 5544 Babette Court with tear gas and stormed in, but Fitch was not inside. It was discovered he was speaking with police via cell phone, from nearby Beggars Pizza, police said.

Police detained Fitch, who is now undergoing psychological evaluation at Palos Community Hospital.

"The police will be reviewing all the tapes of the conversations, figuring out who was involved, who said what," Kuspa said Friday. "No charges will be filed until the evaluation is complete."

Citing the city's financial situation, Kuspa Thursday night seemed incredulous that anyone would perpetrate a hoax that would cost the city "tens of thousands of dollars."

"It's unconscionable to me how someone could think this was funny in this economy," Kuspa told Patch.

Kuspa Thursday night called the incident a hoax, but police on Friday said it's not certain the evidence supports that conclusion. Kuspa said police responded correctly, either way.

"The police department acted properly," Kuspa said. "They had received a call that this gentleman might hurt himself or others. If they did not respond to the call, and he had hurt himself, or others, it would have been catastrophic."

About a dozen neighbors were evacuated from their homes in the early evening as police from throughout the south suburbs descended on the neighborhood. Units from Hazel Crest, Homewood, Tinley Park, Chicago Heights and nearby areas responded. Emergency vehicles lined Central Avenue on both sides.

One neighbor, two houses down from Fitch, was advised to leave his home around 4 p.m., and was able to return at 11 p.m. The man, a former member of the military, said the police responded to the situation according to standards of procedure.

"They did it for public and private safety," the neighbor said. "If I was displaced from my home for a few hours, for the general good, I understand.

"It was a police action, they did it with the best intentions. It was a rough night from 4 to 11, but worse things have happened."

Kuspa told Patch that he was alerted to a "potential hostage situation" and came to the scene. People weren't allowed into their homes for five hours as police talked to Fitch, believing he was holed up inside. The incident did not end until shortly after 10 p.m. when police moved in.

There also were concerns that explosives could be inside the home.

Police will compile an estimate of the costs associated with the situation, Kuspa said.