Fleeing Driver Rams Police Car, Injures 2 Officers: Evanston PD

EVANSTON, IL — An Evanston man who injured two police officers when he rammed a vehicle while fleeing a traffic stop Friday night on Howard Street was arrested Monday in Chicago's West Pullman neighborhood, police said.

Justin D. Neal-Guy, 24, of the 1700 block of Ashland Avenue, was driving a white Chevrolet Malibu with illegally tinted windows in the 400 block of Howard Street when investigators from the Evanston Police Department's tactical unit pulled him over, according to Cmdr. Ryan Glew.

While confirming the car's window violated Illinois window tinting law, multiple officers "detected a strong odor of cannabis" coming from inside, Glew said in a release. Detectives told Neal-Guy they smelled marijuana and told him to exit the vehicle, but he refused.

Instead, he shifted the Malibu into reverse, smashing into the unmarked police SUV parked behind him and fled the scene of the traffic stop, heading west on Howard before turning southbound into Chicago on Ridge Road.

Glew said a short pursuit was quickly called off less than a mile away around Ridge Road and West Lunt Avenue. He said two officers suffered minor injuries in the incident – one was sitting inside the SUV and the other had attempted to break the window of the Malibu as it backed up.

Around noon on Monday, Neal-Guy was arrested with the help of Chicago police at the home of a relative in the 12000 block of South Parnell Avenue before being taken to Evanston and charged, according to Glew.

Neal-Guy was charged with three felonies and two misdemeanors pending a bond hearing, Glew said. He faces two counts of aggravated battery to a police officer and one count of aggravated fleeing and eluding, in addition to misdemeanor counts of reckless driving and fleeing and eluding. He was also issued 13 citations for various traffic violations, according to Glew.

Neal-Guy was last arrested by Evanston police 18 months ago after a stand-off resulting from a report he and another Evanston man had pointing a gun at some acquaintances. His previous arrests followed a gang-related fight at Lincolnwood Town Center and a weapons charge in 2013.