Man Charged With Fleeing Cops, Dragging Officer From SUV
CHICAGO (STMW) -- A Back of the Yards man tried to flee police Saturday near the University of Illinois at Chicago and dragged an officer more than 20 feet with his SUV, according to police reports.
Matthew Louis Jr., 25, of the 700 block of West 50th, was charged with aggravated battery to a peace officer, aggravated fleeing, driving under the influence, aggravated unlawful use of a weapon, aggravated battery, drug possession and a slew of traffic violations, court records show.
Cook County Judge Adam Bourgeois ordered Louis held Sunday in lieu of $100,000 bail. Louis didn't appear in court, though. A UIC police officer said he was at Stroger Hospital with a fractured hip.
Police said they responded to a call of shots fired in the area of 700 South Claremont when they came upon Louis' SUV. They noticed a firearm behind the passenger seat, according to a police report, and removed his passenger from the car.
They also ordered Louis out, according to the report, but instead he accelerated the SUV and dragged an officer more than 20 feet. Police said he tried to go southbound in the northbound lane of South Western, but he struck a large concrete divider, rendering the SUV inoperable.
Louis allegedly told police he "had been drinking a lot while at a party" and "knows he shouldn't drive drunk."
(Source: Sun-Times Media Wire © Chicago Sun-Times 2013. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
