A violence prevention group founder bragged to an officer that he was going to be released under the SAFE-T Act, while threatening two officers, after he was arrested for a police chase in North Chicago. A judge ordered him detained.
Officers with the North Chicago Police Department were on patrol around 8:30 p.m. on March 27 when they observed a silver Acura MDX, which was driven by Hassan A. Grant, 38, of Chicago.
Lake County Assistant State’s Attorney Kailey Hopkins said officers know of Grant from prior contacts.
Grant crossed over 10th Street and did not have any license plates on his vehicle.
The officer attempted to conduct a traffic stop and Grant fled from officers, Hopkins said.
The officer activated his emergency lights and sirens and Grant began disobeying numerous stop signs as he fled.
He ran stop signs at 11th Street and Lincoln Street, 12th Street and Lincoln Street, 13th Street and Lincoln Street, 14th Street and Lincoln Street, 15th Street and Lincoln Street and then 16th Street and Lincoln Street.
Hopkins said the vehicle continued eastbound and then onto Sheridan Road and the officer terminated the pursuit for the safety of others.
Officers were notified by the Highland Park Police Department approximately 15 minutes later that the vehicle was in their town and had dropped off a female passenger at the Dunkin Donuts.
Officers spoke to the woman and confirmed she was in the silver Acura and confirmed Grant was driving, Hopkins said.
She told officers that Grant fled because he did not have a driver’s license. She also said he was armed with a gun and was traveling to Chicago.
An officer spotted the same vehicle in North Chicago around 11:20 p.m. on April 1 and conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle.
He was taken into custody and was transported to the police department for processing, Hopkins said.
Grant told a police sergeant that his offenses were non-detainable offenses under the Illinois SAFE-T Act, which was correct, Hopkins said.
However, Grant then committed a detainable offense when he threatened the sergeant by saying, “When I get out, I got something for your a–,” according to prosecutors.
The sergeant asked Grant if he was threatening him and Grant said it was a threat, Hopkins said. Grant then allegedly threatened another officer by saying he was going to disarm him when he got out of his handcuffs.
The police sergeant felt concerned for his safety because of Grant’s long-known criminal history of violence.
Grant was charged with threatening a public official, aggravated fleeing to elude, resisting a peace officer, obstructing a peace officer, driving under the influence of alcohol, driving on a revoked license, two counts of disregarding a stop sign, improper display plate attachment and operating an uninsured motor vehicle.
The Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office filed a petition to detain Grant pending trial and the request was granted by Lake County Judge Michael Nerheim following a detention hearing.
“This defendant is calculated and dangerous and the threat he poses to the Sergeant and the community is great. His detention is necessary for the safety of this victim and the community at large,” Hopkins said while arguing for his detention.
Lake County Assistant Public Defender Gregg Wolpoff argued for Grant’s pre-trial release and said his client works three jobs, including running a not-for-profit organization called “Guns Down, Hands Up,” and has been trying to change his life by keeping guns out of people’s hands.
Wolpoff said Grant and the police officer in question have a history with each other.
In January 2025, Grant was arrested by the Lake County Sheriff’s Office Special Investigations Group for dealing drugs while wearing three pairs of pants, which he used to hide drugs in his person.
State records show Grant has been sentenced to the Illinois Department of Corrections on at least six separate occasions for offenses such as felon in possession of a firearm, aggravated fleeing to elude, residential burglary, possession of a controlled substance, driving on a revoked license and aggravated driving under the influence.
Grant was on parole at the time of the January 2025 arrest for aggravated discharge of a firearm for a shooting that occurred in November 2020 in Waukegan. He received a nine-year and six-month sentence in September 2022 and was paroled on September 20, 2024.
Grant remains held in the Lake County Jail and is scheduled to appear in court again on June 2 for a case management conference.