A Leaf River man has pleaded not guilty to two felony and three misdemeanor offenses stemming from a police chase between Byron and Leaf River.

Zachary J. Popp, 31, entered the not guilty plea and demanded a jury trial after waiving his right to a preliminary hearing Wednesday, Dec. 31.

Popp is charged with the felony offenses of aggravated fleeing or attempting to elude a peace officer and possession of cocaine and the misdemeanor offenses of violating a condition of pretrial release, unlawful possession of hypodermic syringes or needles, and unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia.

All the charges stem from a Dec. 20 incident in which police say Popp refused to stop for deputies and drove over a curb and sidewalk in Byron before his vehicle was disabled east of Leaf River.

According to the Ogle County Sheriff’s Office, deputies attempted to check on a Ford Edge parked at a closed business in the 100 block of South Union Street in Byron at 10:53 p.m. Dec. 20.

Police said the vehicle immediately fled the location, driving over the curb and sidewalk, and diagonally entered the intersection of East Blackhawk Drive and South Union Street.

Popp then traveled west on West Blackhawk Drive, disregarding the stop light at North Colfax Street and continuing west on Illinois Route 72 before the Edge was eventually disabled just east of Leaf River, according to police.

The felony charges accuse Popp of refusing to obey a deputy, driving away at a “rate of speed at least 21 mph over the legal speed limit” and possessing less than 15 grams of a substance containing cocaine.

Two of the misdemeanor charges accuse Popp of possessing hypodermic needles and syringes and possessing a crack pipe.

The other misdemeanor charge accuses Popp of violating a pretrial release condition from a domestic violence case in which he was ordered not to have any contact with Samantha Norup, 30, who was a passenger in his vehicle.

Norup, also of Leaf River, was arrested on two active Ogle County warrants for battery and driving under the combined influence of alcohol, other drugs, or intoxicating compounds.

She was transported to the Ogle County Jail and released after a Dec. 22 court appearance. Her next court hearing is set for 10:30 a.m. Jan. 15.

On Wednesday, Assistant Ogle County Public Defender Eric Morrow told Associate Circuit Judge Russell Crull that Popp wanted to seek drug addiction treatment.

During a Dec. 24 hearing, Morrow argued for Popp’s release, telling Associate Circuit Judge Anthony Peska that Popp could live with relatives in Oregon, be confined to that home, and walk to his court hearings.

Morrow said information he had gathered indicated that Popp has a “severe drug addiction” and wants to seek treatment.

Assistant State’s Attorney Matthew Leisten said Popp should not be released from custody because he had violated a pretrial release condition in the pending domestic violence case and has a previous criminal record that includes burglaries and other offenses.

Peska denied Morrow’s request for release and remanded him to the Ogle County Jail.

Crull continued that detention following Wednesday’s hearing. Popp is scheduled to appear in court again at 1 p.m. Jan. 28.