The meat market section of the Jewel Food Store at 7900 Milwaukee Ave. was closed Monday and all the products, equipment and supplies were disposed of after a man apparently committed suicide with a power meat saw.
Jewel officials said experts from Lutheran General Hospital were hired to sanitize the area as a health precaution.
According to Sgt. Dennis McEnerney of the Niles Police, a 46-year-old man who formerly worked for the Jewel store in Roselle entered the back room of the Niles Jewel Monday and apparently purposely cut his neck with a bandsaw.
Employees tried to save him afterward, but his wounds were too severe, McEnerney said. The incident took place at 10:32 a.m. out of view of the public, McEnerney said.
The meat market was closed immediately, a Jewel official said.
The man, who formerly worked in the meat department for Jewel, left the firm in November by taking an early retirement offer from the company, said Jewel spokesman Dianne Maffia.
A Jewel statement expressed sympathy to the victim’s family and friends. It added, “While the store itself is open for business, the market area will remain closed until we are advised by the Department of Health that it is appropriate to open.”