Off-duty officer thwarts armed robbery at Schaumburg rec center

An off-duty police officer and two good Samaritans were able to thwart an armed robbery in the parking lot of a northwest suburban health club and hold the combative teenage suspect until police arrived.

About 3:45 p.m. Tuesday, a 16-year-old boy tried to rob a patron of the Schaumburg Park District’s Meineke Recreation Center at 220 E. Weathersfield Way, according to Schaumburg police.

The boy approached the intended victim in the parking lot with a retractable knife and brass knuckles, and demanded money, a statement from police said.

But an off-duty Schaumburg police officer who was in his car in the lot after working out saw the crime in progress, just as the victim turned from the teen and ran back into the building.

The robber chased the victim inside, with the off-duty officer chasing behind to intervene.

“The officer confronted the offender, identified himself as a police officer, and ordered the offender to put his hands in the air. The offender refused, and a physical confrontation ensued,” police said,

The officer was eventually able to disarm the teen and, with the help of two passers-by, held the “highly combative” suspect until on-duty police arrived and took him into custody.

The off-duty officer suffered minor injuries but did not require hospitalization, and he had personal property damaged during the fight.

The teen was charged as a juvenile with attempted armed robbery, unlawful use of a weapon, aggravated battery to a peace officer, resisting a peace officer, and criminal damage to property, police said. He was also wanted on a bond forfeiture warrant for a McHenry County battery case.