March 29, 2024
Local News

Joliet man indicted over police pursuit that injured cops

Prosecutors said man fled from cops with infant in his vehicle

A Joliet man was indicted last week on multiple felony charges in connection with a police chase on Nov. 9 that spanned several towns and ended with a crash in Plainfield.

On Nov. 25, a grand jury returned an indictment against Markease Walker, 21, that alleged he injured an Illinois State Police investigator by driving a vehicle into him and damaged a state police squad car while he attempted to evade the police.

He was also charged with driving a vehicle in an unsafe manner with a child passenger.

Walker’s arrest on Nov. 9 followed a police pursuit that began in Romeoville.

The Will County Cooperative Police Assistance Team was conducting a covert operation in the area and attempted to arrest Walker when he crashed his vehicle into CPAT officers' vehicles and drove at other officers, according to a Romeoville police news release.

Even though Walker evaded arrest in Romeoville, officers were able to keep him under constant surveillance as they pursued him into Woodridge, Bolingbrook and Plainfield, where a crash occurred, police said.

Three Plainfield officers suffered injuries that were not life-threatening, police said.

Walker was charged with possessing a handgun, a rifle and drugs during the incident.

On Nov. 10, a judge set Walker's bond at $2 million.

While Walker has yet to post bond, Will County prosecutors nevertheless petitioned to have a court hearing over the source of money that may be used to release him from jail.

“The facts of the current offense raise a reasonable belief that the defendant obtains funds from illegitimate sources and is involved with illegitimate transactions, such as selling narcotics,” the petition said.

The petition argued Walker is a flight risk as he fled from officers “through several jurisdictions, despite having an infant in his vehicle, while armed.”

“Bail posted with funds other than legitimate sources violates public policy in that such funds would be simply the cost of conducting illegal activities and would not deter the defendant from flight and future criminal activity,” the petition said.

Felix Sarver

Felix Sarver

Felix Sarver covers crime and courts for The Herald-News