Prosecutors say a man tried getting into a police squad before then trying to disarm a police officer of his gun and taser, telling him “you’re dead boy” as he attacked the officer in Grayslake.
The Grayslake-Hainesville Police Department and Grayslake Fire Protection District responded on June 15 to the 1000 block of Shooting Star Road for a medical call.
Jack R. Suvanich, 19, who lives in the home, was reported to be having a seizure, according to Lake County Assistant State’s Attorney Michael Theis.
An officer arrived and found Suvanich suffering from two injuries to his head and was bleeding.
Theis said Suvanich attempted to open the officer’s patrol car but it was locked.
The officer attempted to talk to Suvanich’s mother but Suvanich began talking over her.
He said several incoherent phrases, as well as racial slurs, while also saying, “I could kill,” Theis said.
Theis said Suvanich lunged at the police officer with both hands extended after saying, “You’re dead boy.”
Suvanich grabbed at the officer’s taser with his right hand while also grabbing at the officer’s gun with his left hand, Theis said.
The officer was able to push Suvanich back before he could get a hold of either weapon but the officer was knocked to the ground.
Theis said Suvanich jumped on the officer’s back as the officer was on the ground on his hands and knees.
The officer tried to get Suvanich off of him but Suvanich was fighting with him, Theis said. Firefighters and paramedics arrived and intervened in the attack, leading to Suvanich being restrained.
The officer suffered scratches to his body and scrapes to his knees.
Suvanich was transported to Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville and he tested positive for the presence of opiates and cannabinoids.
Suvanich was already on pre-trial release at the time of the offense for an October 2024 driving under the influence case out of Grayslake.
His conditions in the prior case were to have no alcohol or drugs in his system, Theis said. He also failed to report to pre-trial services monitoring in that case.
An arrest warrant was obtained in September for Suvanich charging him with attempted disarming of a peace officer, aggravated battery of a peace officer and resisting a peace officer causing injury, all of which are felonies.
He was later taken into custody of the Lake County Jail on the warrant and appeared for a detention hearing last month.
Attorney Nickolas Pappas, who is representing Suvanich, said his client had no prior criminal history before the 2024 DUI case.
Pappas said the seizure could have led to the head injuries and the two could have contributed to his confusion with the situation.
Pappas also said that Suvanich has been trying to address his substance abuse issues but has been having relapses.
Lake County Judge Michael Nerheim granted a petition to detain Suvanich pending trial following the detention hearing last month.
Court records show Suvanich, who has been held in the Lake County Jail since the detention hearing, entered into a negotiated plea deal with the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office on Monday.
Suvanich pleaded guilty to one count of resisting arrest, a Class A misdemeanor, and driving under the influence of alcohol, a Class A misdemeanor, in exchange for the rest of his charges being dismissed.
A judge accepted the plea and sentenced Suvanich to 24 months of supervised supervision on the DUI charge and 24 months of probation on the resisting arrest charge.
He was also sentenced to 120 days in the county jail with day-for-day credit to apply.
Suvanich received 41 days of credit but remains held in the jail serving the rest of the sentence, which is just under three more weeks.