A police officer had to be extricated and transported to the hospital after another driver, who was found intoxicated and armed with a gun, crashed into the officer’s squad car as he was responding to a call in North Chicago.
The incident occurred around 7:08 p.m. Sunday at 20th Street and Lewis Avenue in North Chicago.
An officer from the North Chicago Police Department was responding to the report of a domestic disturbance, according to North Chicago Assistant Police Chief Gary Lunn.
The officer was operating a marked squad car northbound on Lewis Avenue approaching 20th Street.
A gray Nissan, driven by Kevin J. Diaz-Ramirez, 22, of North Chicago, was traveling westbound on 20th Street at Lewis Avenue.
Lunn said Diaz-Ramirez disobeyed the stop sign and collided with the squad car, causing the police vehicle to overturn. The squad also struck a tree.
The North Chicago Fire Department responded to the scene and had to extricate the officer, who was trapped inside the squad that was on its roof, Lunn said.
Firefighters extricated the officer and paramedics transported him to a local hospital for evaluation. He did not have any obvious injuries.
Diaz-Ramirez was placed under arrest after exhibiting signs of impairment, Lunn said. A gun, cannabis and drug paraphernalia were found inside his vehicle.
He refused chemical testing and a search warrant was obtained for a blood draw, prosecutors said, adding that the officer was responding to a domestic disturbance call.
Diaz-Ramirez claimed the unloaded pistol located in his car he had previously found in a back alley, prosecutors said.
Diaz-Ramirez was charged with aggravated unlawful possession of a weapon, aggravated driving under the influence, driving under the influence, possession of drug paraphernalia, disregarding a stop sign, failure to reduce speed to avoid a crash and possession of cannabis.
He was transported to First Appearance Court on Sunday morning and the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office filed a petition to detain him while he awaits trial.
Diaz-Ramirez, who does not have a criminal history, was remanded to the Lake County Jail and appeared for a detention hearing on Tuesday afternoon.
Lake County Judge Michael Nerheim granted the petition to detain after finding there were no conditions of release to mitigate the threat he poses.
Diaz-Ramirez is scheduled to appear in court again on July 22 for a preliminary hearing.