Evanston City Worker Accused Of Having Illegal Gun, Injuring Officer

EVANSTON, IL — Authorities said an armed Evanston teenager injured an officer during a struggle to avoid being taken into custody after taking off running from a traffic stop Wednesday.

Dion King, 19, of the 1300 block of McDaniel Avenue, faces felony charges of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon and resisting arrest, according to police and prosecutors.

Officers noticed King driving a car with expired plates in an alley near the 2100 block of Darrow Avenue in Evanston and pulled him over in the 1700 block of Payne Street, according to Assistant State's Attorney Alexandra O'Hehir.

After King failed to provide a driver's license or proof of insurance upon request, officers asked him to get out of the car, the prosecutor said.

Police said King was "visible nervous" and "slow to comply" with detectives demand that he get out of the car.

King then tried to take off running but was soon taken to the ground by detectives, according to police and prosecutors.

Officers struggled with King as he was taken into custody, reporting that he tensed his arms, refused to give them his hands and clenched his fists under his body, she said at King's initial court appearance Thursday.

"One of the detectives injured his knee during the incident," O'Hehir said. "[King] was eventually forcefully handcuffed. A search of [his] person post-arrest yielded a loaded black Glock 9 mm with a round in the chamber in [his] pants."

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Further investigation determined the pistol King was carrying in the front of his pants as he fled officers had a "ghost gun" frame and a Glock slide, police said, and King has neither a FOID card or a Concealed Carry License.

In addition to the pair of felony offenses, King was charged with one misdemeanor count of possession of ammunition without a FOID card and a citation for driving with expired registration, police said.

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Nicholas Giordano, King's Park Ridge-based defense attorney, said King had worked for the Evanston Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department for more than four years and recently began working in a unionized position in the city's department of public works.

Giordano said he confirmed with city staff that King would be able to keep his position working on water services for the city.

"They said if he gets out today, they're still willing to let him have his job and he can report tomorrow morning at 7 a.m. to work," Giordano said.

Cook County Circuit Judge Lorraine Murphy ordered King to post $500 in cash and stay home between 6:30 p.m. and 6:30 a.m. in order to remain out of jail while awaiting trial. He is due back in court June 2 for a preliminary hearing.