Ex-Richmond man accused of making false report of an active shooter pleads guilty to resisting police officer

A former Richmond man accused of calling 911 and falsely reporting an active shooter pleaded guilty Thursday to resisting a police officer, causing injury, and was sentenced to two years of probation.

Paul W. Gunn, who has since moved to Kentucky, initially was charged in 2022 with five counts of felony aggravated assault of a police officer and two counts of felony disorderly conduct, as well as misdemeanor resisting a police officer, according to criminal complaints filed in McHenry County court.

As part of his probation, he was ordered to obtain a mental health evaluation within 60 days and comply with all recommendations. He is ordered not to consume any alcohol or illegal drugs and submit to random screenings. He was ordered to serve 128 days in jail, but that sentence was set aside, and he received credit for 52 days already in the jail. He also must pay $1,799 in court fines and fees, according to sentencing orders.

Police said Gunn called 911 and reported a “subject actively shooting at people” from the same address where Gunn was listed as living. When calling 911, he knew “there were no reasonable grounds for making the call” and knew by making the call that emergency agencies would respond, according to the criminal complaint.

He also was accused of telling the officers who arrived that there was an active shooter and saying, “Are you ready to die? I’m ready to die. Come inside, I have a lot of guns,” authorities said.

Police said that while trying to arrest Gunn, he resisted and injured one of the officer’s left hands, causing a laceration across the knuckle of his index finger. Gunn also caused injury to the right hands of two other officers during the arrest, according to the criminal complaint.

Gunn was accused of trying to stop officers from cuffing him by stiffening his arms, interlocking his hands, and laying on top of them, according to the complaint.