Bond set for man charged in weekend car chase, threats around DeKalb

DeKALB – A DeKalb man is facing charges following an incident over the weekend where police allege the man drove to multiple homes and the police station in DeKalb, said he’d shoot them or himself and ended in a car chase at a gas station.

Hassan Coleman, 30, is charged with aggravated battery, aggravated assault of a police officer, reckless driving, disorderly conduct and criminal damage to property following an incident which took place Saturday afternoon in DeKalb. He was arrested Saturday and booked into DeKalb County Jail, where on Monday he went before a judge for a virtual bond hearing.

If convicted of the most serious crime, aggravated battery, a Class 2 felony, Coleman could face up to seven years in jail and fines up to $25,000.

During his virtual bond hearing Monday, Coleman was granted a $5,000 recognizance bond by DeKalb County Circuit Court Judge Phillip Montgomery. That means Coleman could be released from jail on his signature if he complies with Montgomery’s stipulations on the bond, including that he be held on an electronic home monitoring ankle bracelet device at his residence and that he have no contact with any alleged victims.

Prosecutors asked for a $50,000 bond Monday, citing Coleman’s charges having all occurred the same day on Saturday, including that he allegedly drove through the grass of Lions Park in DeKalb and is charged with reckless driving.

“The fact that [the charges] all occurred in the one day time period shows, I believe, the defendant is a danger to the community,” said Assistant State’s Attorney Brooks Locke.

“I did not do that, your honor,” Coleman said during the virtual hearing via Zoom. “It’s because the police surrounded me.”

Montgomery said Coleman has prior criminal history, including an Illinois Department of Corrections Sentence in 2017 with conditional discharge for a felony criminal damage to property.

Coleman is next set to appear May 21 at 9 a.m. for another hearing via Zoom.

Saturday incident

The incident began about 12:20 p.m., said DeKalb Police Cmdr. Jason Leverton, 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.

“He was a very agitated and volatile subject that caused several issues around town,” Leverton said Saturday around 3:!5 p.m. Leverton said that although Coleman told police officers and victims he had a gun, when searched, police found no weapon.

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.

During the bond hearing Monday, Coleman told Montgomery he also lives at the Dawn Court address, but DeKalb County court records show he also recorded an address in Rockford.

“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.”

An earlier version of this story included incorrect information provided to the Daily Chronicle, which requires clarification: Hassan Coleman, 30, is from DeKalb, as he told Judge Phillip Montgomery Monday during a virtual bond hearing. His address in DeKalb County court records is listed in Rockford.

Daily Chronicle reporter Katie Finlon contributed to this report.