Calhoun Deputies Locate Axe-Wielding Suspect Seven Minutes After Call, Help Save His Life
HARDIN — On May 5, 2025, at approximately 3:30 p.m., the Calhoun County Sheriff's Office was alerted to a disturbance near the intersection of Park Street and Main Street in Hardin. Authorities were informed that a male suspect had threatened another individual with an axe before fleeing the scene in a vehicle.
Shortly after, at about 3:37 p.m. on May 5, Chief Deputy Zach Hardin located the suspect parked along Illinois River Road, armed with a large axe. Sheriff Bill Heffington arrived to assist.
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The suspect made threatening statements to law enforcement, expressing a desire to commit “suicide by cop,” and then fled into nearby woods toward the Illinois River.
Recognizing the suspect was in crisis, first responders from the Calhoun Ambulance Service were called to the scene. Sheriff Heffington and Chief Deputy Hardin found the suspect near the river, where he threatened to take his own life before jumping into the water. The Illinois Conservation Police were subsequently requested to assist.
Both Sheriff Heffington and Chief Deputy Hardin, members of the Illinois Crisis Intervention Team, engaged the suspect in extended negotiations. They eventually persuaded him to come ashore and submit to medical evaluation.
The suspect was identified as 30-year-old Clint J. Wipke of Bridgeton, Mo. He was arrested on charges including intimidation, threatening a public official, aggravated assault on a peace officer, and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
Wipke received initial medical evaluation from EMTs of the Calhoun Ambulance Service before being transported to Thomas H. Boyd Memorial Hospital for further assessment. He was later taken to the Greene County Jail to be held pending legal proceedings.
Chief Deputy Hardin commented on the incident, saying, “This type of call is the worst types of calls any law enforcement officer can be sent to. I am proud of the efforts made by our department in helping to save a life, and am grateful we were successful in locating and safely taking this subject into custody without incident, to get him the help that he needs.”
Authorities remind the public that all suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty. Individuals struggling with mental health issues are encouraged to seek support through primary care providers, national organizations, or by contacting the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988.
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