An 18-year-old man from Plainfield has been apprehended following allegations that he deliberately drove his car into Chicago police officers on three separate occasions, injuring five officers and rendering one unconscious. The incidents occurred early Sunday morning as the police attempted to disperse a large street gathering on the Near West Side. Rashad Johnson’s vehicle eventually came to a stop after crashing, at which point officers reportedly discovered a loaded Mac 10 pistol in his waistband.
Assistant State’s Attorney Michael Rausch reported that a significant number of CPD officers were stationed near Roosevelt Road and South Loomis Street around 2:54 a.m. Sunday to manage a crowd of several hundred people. Officers were positioned along the east side of Loomis and the south side of Roosevelt, with the westbound lanes of Roosevelt blocked by squad cars with activated lights.
Johnson was allegedly driving a Ford Fusion west on Roosevelt Road with two passengers, who later refused to assist in the investigation, according to prosecutors. As he neared the intersection, Johnson veered into oncoming traffic. A squad car with its lights and sirens activated attempted to stop him, Rausch stated. Johnson allegedly reduced speed to a crawl before accelerating and turning south onto Loomis, mounting the curb and hitting the first officer, who suffered leg, knee, hip, and back pain along with a potential torn meniscus.
Continuing to drive, Johnson reportedly struck a second officer, causing a laceration to the left elbow that required stitches and pain to the right thigh. He then crossed into the wrong lane, accelerated further, and hit three additional officers before crashing into a parked squad car and a utility pole, which finally stopped the vehicle, Rausch explained.
Among the final three officers hit, one was knocked unconscious and sustained a head wound necessitating staples. Another officer suffered a concussion, and the third experienced lacerations and road rash on the elbow and back.
After removing Johnson from the vehicle, officers allegedly discovered a loaded Mac 10 semiautomatic handgun with an extended magazine in his front waistband.
Johnson, who has no previous criminal record, is facing charges of five counts of first-degree murder, aggravated possession of a weapon, and five counts of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon. Judge Ankur Srivastava approved the state’s request for detention.
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