DeKalb police arrest Sycamore man after car chase, threats around town Saturday

DeKALB – An arrest has been made after a Saturday incident where police say a Sycamore man drove to multiple homes and the police station in DeKalb, threatened the inhabitants verbally, led police cars on a chase around town, and said he’d shoot them or himself.

“He was a very agitated and volatile subject that caused several issues around town,” DeKalb Police Cmdr. Jason Leverton said Saturday about 3:15 p.m. Leverton said that although the man told police officers and victims he had a gun, when searched, police found no weapon.

Hassan Coleman, 30, of the 1400 block of DeKalb Avenue in Sycamore, is facing multiple charges, Leverton said, though many are still pending, including charges for reckless driving, aggravated assault and criminal damage to property.

The incident began about 12:20 p.m., Leverton said, when DeKalb police received calls about a man who was reportedly driving around in a gold or brown Cadillac threatening to harm others and himself.

Coleman allegedly first went to the 1100 block of Market Street, to the house of someone he knew, Leverton said, and threw an object at one of the home’s windows, busting it. The man then drove to the 900 block of Dawn Court, yelling threats to those inside as well, police said.

“He was making several demands that didn’t make sense,” Leverton said. “Threats to shoot the houses, them, himself.”

Leverton said Coleman “appeared to intentionally back into a neighbor’s car,” on Dawn Court with his Cadillac, and then drove to the DeKalb Police Department at 700 W. Lincoln Highway. The neighbor whose car Coleman hit followed him to the police station, Leverton said.

Once outside the department, Coleman continued yelling threats at officers from outside the building, including that he would shoot the police officers, Leverton said, although no gun was found in Coleman’s possession when police arrested him.

From the police department, DeKalb squad cards pursued Coleman, who then drove to Lions Park, “weaving all over the lanes” Leverton said, and drove his Cadillac through the grass of the park before coming out on West Taylor Street, Fourth Street, and ending up at the Marathon gas station on Fourth Street.

Leverton said Coleman got out of his car, which police then surrounded, went into the Marathon and came back out, at which point DeKalb police arrested him.

“He did attempt to resist arrest, but not to the point where anyone was injured,” Leverton said.

Coleman was taken to Northwestern Medicine Kishwaukee Hospital for a medical evaluation and was released, then booked into the DeKalb County Jail in Sycamore, where he awaits further charges and a bond hearing.

“We’re glad it turned out well, that no person was harmed,” Leverton said. “That’s always the best we can hope for.”

The incident caused DeKalb police to issue two public safety warnings Saturday afternoon, warning residents to avoid West Taylor Street briefly before the area was reopened.

A city of DeKalb police alert went out about 12:45 p.m. Saturday urging residents to avoid the area of West Taylor near Lions Park for “active police activity.”

“We have a person making threats to shoot police and others,” Acting DeKalb Police Chief Bob Redel said shortly after the first alert was sent about 1 p.m., and said the situation “was contained.”

DeKalb Fire Department crews were set up in the parking lot of Schnucks and Anytime Fitness as of 1 p.m. Saturday, and a police squad car blocked the intersection of Taylor Street and Annie Glidden, and was barring anyone from entering the area. Northern Illinois University police were also on the scene.

The area as of 1:30 p.m. was cleared, and a second citywide alert was sent that reported the “situation had concluded near Lions Park. All normal activity can resume.”

This is story was updated as of 4:15 p.m. with information regarding the arrest of Hassan Coleman, 30, of Sycamore.