Prosecutors say a man called a group a slur for their sexual orientation and then attacked multiple responding police officers while also calling them racial and anti-gay slurs in Wauconda.
Donald J. Bigham, 68, who has no known address, was charged with two counts of aggravated battery of a peace officer, resisting a peace officer causing injury, two counts of aggravated assault of a peace officer, resisting a peace officer and three counts of disorderly conduct.
The Wauconda Police Department responded to a laundromat on March 2 after receiving a call of a disorderly conduct.
Officers learned that a group of three females were at the laundromat when Bigham catcalled one of the people in their group.
The victims felt uncomfortable and began leaving when Bigham called the group an anti-gay slur, prosecutors said.
The group felt it was based on their sexual orientation as they had been “affectionate” in the laundromat by kissing and holding hands.
Prosecutors said Bigham followed them to the exit of the laundromat and stared them down as they walked away.
A description was provided to officers and they located Bigham, who was immediately verbally aggressive toward them and visibly intoxicated.
Bigham began calling officers multiple anti-gay and racist slurs before “squaring up” on the officers and attempting to punch them in the face, prosecutors said.
Officers took Bigham to the ground and one of the officers suffered a five-inch laceration to his hand. Bigham suffered a laceration to his head.
Paramedics were treating Bigham where he continued with verbally abusive tirades, including calling the paramedics a multitude of slurs, prosecutors said.
Prosecutors said Bigham was transported to the hospital where he continued to resist and struggle against medical intervention and tried spitting blood on nurses and doctors, requiring him to be sedated.
Bigham has a lengthy criminal history of battery, weapons, aggravated battery and assault charges. He has been charged in 25 cases since 2019 with failure to appear warrants being issued for him in nearly every case.
The Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office filed a petition to detain Bigham pending trial, calling him a willful flight risk.
Lake County Judge Michael Nerheim granted the petition and remanded Bigham to the Lake County Jail after agreeing with prosecutors that he poses a willful flight risk based on his history.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for March 26.