Cop Dragged By Fleeing Car, Squad Car Rammed In Palos Hills

PALOS HILLS, IL — A police officer in Palos Hills was struck but not seriously injured after the driver of a stolen car began to flee a stop in the 11300 block of Moraine Drive around 10 p.m. Tuesday night. The driver, who is still on the run, also rammed into a Palos Hills police squad car while fleeing the area according to police.

Palos Hills police responded to the 7900 block of West 111th Place to a few reports of thefts having occurred from cars parked in that area. They found the stolen car with a number of suspects inside a few blocks away and tried to stop the car.

That's when police say the driver sped up directly at one of the officers at the scene, who was struck but avoided injury. Police say the "offending vehicle" then rammed the squad car and dragged the officer on the side of it until he was able to escape at the back of the car.

The car fled the scene, and Palos Hills and other police departments who responded were not able to catch it. Full descriptions of the suspects, who police say are all black men, were not given. Police also did not provide a description of the fleeing car.

Palos Hills Police Chief Paul Madigan says incidents like these are becoming an "epidemic" throughout Chicagoland, with criminals having no fear of the criminal justice system.