Crime & Safety

Machete-Wielding Man Calls 911 After Parking Lot Quarrel

A 57-year-old Orland Park man is accused of bringing a machete to an argument in the Orland Park Jewel parking lot.

A driver armed with a 15-inch machete got into a face-off with another motorist after being called an "old man" in grocery store parking lot.

Gregory J. Scherer, 57, of the 8600 block of 144th Place, Orland Park, was charged with unlawfully using a weapon, Orland Park police said.

The dispute arose after Scherer reportedly took his time walking through a parking lot, prompting a horn honk from the driver of a black Lexus who was searching for a spot.

Orland Park cops arrived at 7:46 p.m. on Aug. 27 in the Jewel parking lot, 9350 159th St., to investigate a 911 call from 30-year-old victim. Scherer also called 911 a few minutes later, after he drove away from Jewel in his blue pick-up truck and had pulled into the nearby Target parking lot.

Cops drove to Target and found Scherer standing near the truck, police said. The machete, which Scherer told dispatchers about and pointed police to on scene, was inside the truck's cab. An officer found the black, serrated machete, which had a blade about 15 inches long, stuck between the front seat and center console.

Scherer told police he was walking to his vehicle in the Jewel parking lot when the other man pulled up behind him in a black Lexus, honked his horn and yelled to "get the (blank) out of the way," according to an Orland Park police report. The Lexus driver also had called him an old man. Scherer become upset and yelled back. He then got into his car and followed the Lexus driver to another spot in the lot. That's where Scherer pulled the machete and continued the argument.

The Lexus driver said that Scherer had been walking slowly in the middle of the parking aisle and that he gently honked his horn, hoping Scherer would more to the side, the report states. He denied ever yelling "Get the (blank) out of the way," but did admit to calling him an "old man." The victim also confirmed that Scherer had parked near him and approached with the sheathed weapon. After the Lexus driver threatened to call the cops, Scherer got into the truck and took off.

The victim said he would not be able to appear in court and declined to press assault charges, police said. Scherer was arrested and, later, booked on the weapon charge.

Scherer is due on Sept. 24 in Bridgeview court.

Police report information is provided by the Orland Park Police Department and other law enforcement agencies. Charges are not evidence of guilt. They are a record of police actions taken on a given day, and persons charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court. If you or a family member are charged or cited and the case is subsequently adjudicated, we encourage you to notify the editor. We will verify and report the outcome.

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