String of police pursuits in northern Illinois ends in Savanna with officer-involved shooting, hurt officers

MOUNT CARROLL – The Illinois State Police are investigating a series of multi-agency police pursuits overnight Wednesday into Thursday that led to three reports of shots fired, several injured officers and a driver of a suspected stolen vehicle being flown to a regional hospital for treatment after the vehicle crashed into a squad car in Savanna.

According to a Carroll County Sheriff’s Office news release, Freeport police responded to a report of a suspected stolen vehicle about 10:30 p.m. Wednesday. When officers located the vehicle and attempted a traffic stop, the driver fled and almost struck a squad car and another passing vehicle in the process, according to the release. Officers lost sight of the vehicle and terminated the pursuit.

Later in the evening, a Jo Daviess County sheriff’s deputy found the vehicle near Hanover, according to the release. A short pursuit ensued but also was terminated.

The vehicle again was found about 3:40 a.m. Thursday, this time near Savanna, and there was another police pursuit, during which the vehicle being pursued struck a squad car, and disabled it, according to the release.

About five minutes into the pursuit, a report of shots fired was transmitted, with a second report of shots fires relayed about three minutes later.

By this time, officers and deputies from the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office, Savanna Police Department and Mount Carroll Police Department were chasing the vehicle.

Moments later, the wanted vehicle crashed at the intersection of Chicago Street and Park Street in Savanna and struck a Mount Carroll Police Department squad car, according to the release.

Officers were able to make physical contact with the driver at 3:49 a.m.; shortly thereafter, additional shots were fired, and emergency medical services were requested, according to the release.

The driver, whose name has not been released, was flown to a regional hospital for treatment. Multiple officers from the Savanna Police Department, Mount Carroll Police Department, and Carroll County Sheriff’s Office were injured and taken to area hospitals for treatment of injuries that were not life-threatening.

Chicago Street in Savanna has remained closed to traffic Thursday, according to an update from the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office.