A Chicago man is in custody after speeding away from a routine traffic stop and, when ultimately apprehended, allegedly attempting to grab a Naperville police officer’s gun from its holster.
DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin and Naperville Chief of Police Jason Arres announced Saturday that Judge Anthony Coco has granted the State’s motion to detain the 32-year-old, who is charged with one count Attempt to Disarm a Peace Officer, a Class 3 Felony; one count of Aggravated Unlawful Use of a Weapon – No FOID, a Class 4 Felony; one count of Aggravated Fleeing and Eluding a Peace Officer, a Class 4 Felony; and four counts of Misdemeanor Resisting a Police Officer.
According to police, at approximately 11:20pm Friday evening, Naperville police officers observed a dark colored sedan with suspended registration plates turning onto North Aurora Road near Route 59. The officers activated their emergency lights and conducted a traffic stop, during which one officer spoke with the driver while a second officer placed spike strips under a rear tire. While the driver was speaking to the officer, he allegedly put the car into drive and fled the scene, causing a tire to pop. The officers pursued the suspect as he turned northbound on to Fairway Drive, where they were joined by a fully marked squad car. The suspect allegedly reached speeds of approximately 68 mph in a 30-mph zone while fleeing.
Subsequently, the suspect entered the parking lot of an apartment complex where he left the car and fled on foot. When officers attempted to take him into custody after a brief foot pursuit, the suspect allegedly resisted, and officers had to deploy multiple taser strikes to take him into custody, at which point officers allegedly found a loaded Springfield Armory XD 9 mm handgun with a round in the chamber, in his waistband. As officers took the suspect into custody, he allegedly reached towards and grabbed at an officer’s holstered gun, but was prevented from retrieving the weapon.
“It is alleged that the defendant in this case, in a complete defiance of the rule of law, not only fled from officers in his vehicle and on foot, but also resisted officers’ efforts to place him under arrest and attempted to grab an officer’s service weapon,” Berlin said. “Naperville police however, who are extremely well trained, quickly and securely took [the suspect] into custody bringing an end to an incident that could have turned extremely dangerous very quickly. I commend the Naperville Police Department for their efforts safely apprehending the defendant in this case, as well as for their ongoing efforts to protect our communities.”
