A man wanted on warrants for strangulation, battery and felony theft was among four people arrested Friday night after a police chase that started in Gary, Indiana and ended with a crash and foot pursuit in Calumet City, Illinois. A K-9 bit the 26-year-old Merrillville man as officers closed in, and he was taken to a hospital for evaluation and treatment.
The chase began when police stopped a car at Burr Street and Interstate 80 in Gary, according to the Lake County, Indiana sheriff. Just before 10 p.m., the driver took off again, heading westbound on Interstate 80 with officers in pursuit. A Chicago Police helicopter picked up the chase from the air, tracking the car's driver as the pursuit crossed the state line.
Guidance on cross-jurisdiction pursuits
The Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board recommends using ISPERN for pursuit communications when a chase has or may extend into other jurisdictions. The guidance addresses communications; by itself, it does not establish what Illinois or Indiana law authorizes in a cross-state pursuit, which agencies may participate, or what communications were used in this incident.
Crash and Foot Chase in Calumet City
The pursuit ended near River Oaks Drive and Park Avenue in Calumet City, where the car struck the side of another vehicle and went over a curb before stopping, according to the sheriff. All four occupants ran from the car; officers caught each of them and took them into custody.
Investigators recovered a handgun from a backpack found near the scene, the sheriff's office said.
Warrants, a K-9 Bite and a Hospital Visit
The driver, a 26-year-old man from Merrillville, had active warrants for felony theft, battery and strangulation, according to the sheriff. A police K-9 bit him during his arrest. He was taken to a local hospital for evaluation and treatment.
The other occupants were a 28-year-old man from Lafayette, Indiana, and two 17-year-old boys from Illinois. The sheriff said Calumet City police expected to cite and release all three.
Authorities did not immediately release further details beyond the sheriff's account, and information about formal charges stemming from Friday night's pursuit remained unclear.
