FRANKFORT, IL – A dramatic turn of events unfolded on Sunday morning at approximately 10:45 AM when an off-duty Will County Sheriff’s Office detective, arriving home with their family, intervened to thwart a potential robbery in Frankfort Township.
According to the Will County Sheriff’s Department, Detective Shaun Moran noticed two masked men approaching a neighbor as they retrieved groceries from their vehicle. Reacting quickly Moran honked a car horn, startling the men, forcing them to flee the scene. Will County Sheriff’s Office was immediately alerted to the incident and began gathering video evidence from the neighbor’s home.
A short time later the Detective spotted the suspects silver sedan at a nearby gas station on Harlem Avenue. Aware of recent robberies at the gas station, Moran contacted backup to the scene. Multiple deputies from the Will County Sheriff’s Office arrived on the scene, which soon turned violent when the suspects allegedly rammed Moran’s personal vehicle in an attempted to escape the scene.
A high-speed chase ensued down Harlem Avenue and then onto Route 30. The chase came to an end after the suspects crashed their vehicle when hitting a curb, fleeing on foot into a field. Deputies apprehended both suspects, who were reportedly found to be armed, a short time later. The suspects refused to cooperate with detectives with one refusing to disclose his identity, necessitating a fingerprint comparison for identification purposes.
The men were later identified as Michael E. Smith, 21 of Chicago, and an unidentified 17-year-old from Chicago. Smith now faces charges of Aggravated Unlawful Use of a Weapon, Aggravated Unlawful Use of a Weapon by a Felon, Obstruction of Justice, and Obstructing Identification. Smith was wanted on a warrant out of Cook County. The juvenile has been charged with Aggravated Fleeing and Eluding, Aggravated Unlawful Use of a Weapon, and received numerous traffic citations.
Both suspects are now awaiting a bond hearing.
