A veteran Rolling Meadows police sergeant, Carlos Saez, finds himself on unpaid administrative leave after being arrested in connection with a road rage shooting that happened last week, as reported by the Chicago Sun-Times. The incident, which escalated from a traffic dispute on April 23, led to Saez being charged with two felony counts of aggravated battery and one felony count of reckless discharge of a firearm. Rolling Meadows Police Chief John Nowacki confirmed the occurrence and the action taken against Saez.
The confrontation occurred in Elgin, where officers responding to the 1100 block of Dundee Avenue at 7:23 p.m. discovered the altercation that had grown physical, during which a gun was fired, Saez, aged 58 and with 19 years of service in the police department, was off-duty at the time and not in a department-issued vehicle, stated both Elgin and Rolling Meadows police departments to FOX 32 Chicago.
Although no one was hit by gunfire, the other man involved sustained a minor injury, leading to his hospital treatment; no charges have been pressed against him as Elgin police described him as the victim in this incident. Saez, who was recognized in 2019 by the Rolling Meadows Police Department for his contribution to a community program, now faces suspension of his law enforcement responsibilities while an internal investigation unfolds alongside his legal challenges.
Following a detention hearing, a Kane County judge allowed Saez's release with stipulated pretrial conditions, including the surrender of all firearms; his next court appearance is slated for June 12 where Saez's attorney Alex Bederka, embroiled in gathering evidence for the defense, mentioned being in the discovery process and he "may be prepared to comment further after the next court hearing," a fact noted by the Chicago Sun-Times.
