Drunken Driver Hits Multiple Cars, Grabs Cop's Wrist: Des Plaines PD

DES PLAINES, IL — A Palatine man has been charged with multiple felonies stemming from a series of incidents, including battering a police officer, last weekend. Mykhailo Habak, 34, of the 1000 block of N. King Charles Court, was arrested late Saturday.

Habak is accused of felony aggravated battery to a peace officer and possession of a controlled substance, as well as misdemeanor charges of driving under the influence of alcohol, resisting a peace officer, and leaving the scene of an accident. He was also ticketed for failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident, improper lane usage, disregarding a stop sign, and two counts of operating an uninsured motor vehicle. The Cook County State's Attorney's Office approved the charges.

Police responded to the 1700 block of Sycamore Street Saturday night for a report of a hit-and-run accident. As officers were responding to the area, Cook County Dispatch advised that the caller was saying the driver, later identified as Habak, was possibly intoxicated and had hit her car.

Habak's red Ford Focus was last seen traveling north on Des Plaines River Road. It was later learned that the car had struck two vehicles parked in the south side of the street. The owner of the vehicles heard the accident and when he went outside to check, saw the car approximately one block east of the location with a bald white male wearing a blue shirt standing outside of it. Habak then reentered his car and fled as 9-1-1 was being called.

Shortly after receiving the call, police said they received a second call in the area of S. Des Plaines River Road and Miner Street for a motor vehicle accident. Habak was last seen fleeing from his car on foot. The accident was caused by the red sedan traveling northbound striking a gray Toyota Camry and propelling it forward and into oncoming traffic in the southbound lanes. According to police, this caused the Toyota Camry to collide with a gold Toyota Highlander that was traveling south. The red sedan came to rest on the median after striking a traffic sign.

As additional officers responded to the area, Habak was seen in the 800 Block of S. Des Plaines River Road, standing on the sidewalk. As the officers approached him, they detected a strong odor of alcohol emitting from his breath and his eyes were watery/bloodshot. The officers requested Habak's driver's license, however, he refused to provide it even though it was seen in his wallet as Habak was going through it. Habak was being non-compliant with officers' requests and ultimately was being detained.

As this was happening, Habak reportedly began pulling away from officers. In an attempt to place Habak into custody, police said he tensed his arms to his body, trapping one of the officers' wrists and then grabbing onto it, refusing to let it go. Habak was escorted to the ground, and police gave him further instructions to release the officer's wrist and to place his hands behind his back. Habak refused and began to twist the officer's hand, causing injury to the wrist. Eventually, the officer's wrist was freed and Habak was placed into handcuffs.

The witness from the first accident was taken to the scene and positively identified Habak as being the person from the accident on Sycamore Street. Habak was taken to the Des Plaines Police station where his property was taken in, including a clear plastic bag containing a white powdery substance that was found on his person during a search. The substance was tested using a Narcotics Identification Kit which came back positive for the probable presence of cocaine. The officer also suspected Habak of being intoxicated and requested him to perform Standardized Field Sobriety
Tests, which he refused.

Habak was later brought to a Cook County courthouse for a detention hearing.