The Kane County Sheriff’s Office issued a statement today detailing two fleeing and eluding cases over New Year’s Eve and Day, while decrying a general disregard for law enforcement.
According to the release, on December 31st at 2:06 AM, deputies attempted to stop a vehicle in the area of French Rd and Burlington Rd in Hampshire Township. The vehicle turned off its lights and accelerated away from the deputy at a high rate of speed. A short time later, a deputy was able to deploy a disabling device that stopped the vehicle in the area of US 20 and Marshall Rd. The driver, a 24 year-old Carpentersville man, was taken into custody. He was charged with Aggravated Fleeing and Eluding, Speeding, Driving Without Lights When Required, Fictitious Registration, and Possession of Cannabis by a Driver. He also had an active warrant for Aggravated Fleeing and Eluding out of McHenry County. Sheriff’s deputies were assisted by officers from the Hampshire and Pingree Grove Police Departments.
Less than 24 hours later, on January 1st at 1:37 AM, deputies attempted to stop a vehicle in the area of Bowes Rd and McLean Blvd, when the driver refused to stop and fled at a high rate of speed. Deputies pursued the vehicle from Elgin to Pingree Grove, where it collided with a median in the 14N200 block of Reinking Rd. The driver fled on foot and two female passengers were detained at the scene by deputies. Deputies were able to locate the driver in a nearby neighborhood and took him into custody. Deputies located a loaded Springfield XD 9MM handgun under the driver’s seat of the vehicle and found that the vehicle, a 2013 Dodge Charger, was stolen in Chicago.
The driver, later identified as a 24 year-old Rockford man, was charged with three counts of Aggravated Fleeing and Eluding, a Felon in Possession of a Firearm While on Parole, Unlawful Use of a Firearm, and Aggravated Use of a Weapon.
Since 2019, the Kane County Sheriff’s Office has experienced a notable increase in the number of people disregarding police attempts to pull them over for a traffic violation. In 2019, the Sheriff’s Office experienced 21 cases of a driver fleeing from a deputy. In 2020, that number more than doubled to 46. In 2021, there were 43 incidents of fleeing and eluding.
In 2020, Sheriff Ron Hain instituted additional emergency driver training for deputies and acquired new equipment to stop vehicles who attempt evade police in response to the increase in disregard for law enforcement. The enhancements have brought success in capturing people fleeing from police, as highlighted in two recent incidents.
Sheriff Hain said, “over the last three years of my administration, we have worked to create an environment where citizens have no reason to engage in crime through our re-entry services and public vocational training and job placement resources. It is imperative to note that we are here to support all of our community through positive engagement, however, our deputies will relentlessly pursue those who choose to engage in criminal activity in Kane.”
