A Florida man found with a loaded gun in his vehicle Monday began chanting “repeatedly and methodically” at officers when confronted in west suburban Riverside, according to police.
About 2:14 a.m., a Riverside police officer saw a dark-colored Jeep with Michigan license plates parked illegally facing the wrong way next to Harrington Park, Riverside police said in a statement.
The officer saw Frank Henry-James Neil III, 56, slumped over the wheel, police said. He noticed a gun in the front-seat console while trying to wake Neil up.
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After the officer called for backup, police asked Neil to exit the vehicle but he refused to do so, police said. Neil began chanting “repeatedly and methodically in an extremely loud, repetitive tone,” at which point officers forcibly opened the door and took him into custody.
Neil continued chanting in “some type of spiritual overtone” as he was taken into custody, police said.
After questioning Neil, investigators learned he had traveled from Winter Haven, Florida, to Michigan to borrow a friend’s car and was traveling through Illinois when he pulled over near Harrington Park, police said. Neil told police he was traveling throughout the country looking for a place to live and did not explain why he had a handgun in his possession.
Neil, who has a history of domestic violence arrests in Michigan and Florida, was charged with felony counts of unlawful use of a weapon and unlawful possession of ammunition, police said.
His bond was set at $10,000, according to Cook County court records. His next court date was set for July 29.
