A Libertyville police officer who was chasing after a shoplifting suspect on Thursday was struck and dragged by the getaway vehicle, police officials said.
The Libertyville Police Department said that the incident happened at a store in the 100 block of Peterson Road, near Milwaukee Avenue, in Libertyville at 11:45 a.m. on Thursday.
Officials said that Yolanda K. Holmes, 40, of 2127 South 15th Street in Chicago, was walking out of the store when a Libertyville police officer happened to be walking in to conduct a routine business check.
Anti-theft alarms activated and the business employees called Holmes back to check to make sure that the anti-theft devices had all been taken off of the purchased items. Holmes then left a bag on the counter and fled on foot into the parking lot.
The police officer began to chase her on foot and caught up to her just as she entered the passenger side of a waiting vehicle. The driver of the car, identified by police as Anita J. McGhee, 23, of 2822 West Lexington in Chicago, then put the vehicle into reverse, striking the police officer with the door and dragging him a short distance, authorities said.
The two suspects then fled eastbound on Peterson Road and were seen going onto eastbound Interstate 94. A regional police radio alert was broadcasted and several minutes later the vehicle was spotted on Interstate 94 by a responding Lincolnshire police officer.
Illinois State Police, Vernon Hills police, and Libertyville police were then able to stop the suspect vehicle. Both suspects were taken into custody and transported to the Lake County Jail.
Holmes was charged with retail theft, aggravated battery to a police officer, obstructing justice for providing a fake name to police, unlawful possession of cannabis, and fugitive from justice because of her three outstanding warrants, two out of Wisconsin and the other out of McHenry County for retail theft.
McGhee was charged with aggravated battery to a police officer and leaving the scene of a personal injury accident.
The Libertyville police officer was transported to Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville for treatment of what appeared to be minor injuries. He was released from the hospital a couple of hours later.