Lake County Sheriff’s Police Officers Arrest 3 in Two Simultaneous Pursuits
Just before 1 p.m. the Lake County Sheriff’s Highway Interdiction Unit was in pursuit of an SUV on The Indiana Toll Road for various traffic infractions. The vehicle traveled west on I-90 eventually reaching the South Side of Chicago.
At 63rd Place and South Lowe Avenue in Chicago, the suspect vehicle went into a dead end where police cornered the driver. The suspect put his vehicle in reverse, slamming into a Lake County Police patrol SUV and trapping the officer inside. The officer was evaluated and released from an area hospital.
Two male suspects attempted to flee on foot but were placed into custody by police officers. They are currently being held in Illinois pending extradition to Indiana. They are in the process of being identified at this time.
The suspect’s SUV was fully loaded with packages of marijuana and THC products.
Charges are pending.
Lake County Sheriff’s Department patrol units were responding to that pursuit on the Toll Road when a patrol officer spotted a reckless driver on westbound I-80/94. The driver of a small SUV refused to pull over when the officer attempted to make a traffic stop.
The officer pursued the reckless driver onto northbound Cline Avenue where the driver lost control of the SUV. He crashed at Cline Avenue and West 15th Avenue in Gary and fled on foot but was later placed into custody.
The driver, identified as 36-year-old Lewand Dixon, of University Park, Illinois, was booked into the Lake County Jail and faces multiple charges including cocaine possession and felony resisting arrest. Officers recovered approximately 32 grams of suspected cocaine, a scale and a large amount of cash.
I am extremely proud of the work of all officers involved in making these arrests. Their teamwork and professionalism help keep dangerous narcotics off our streets and make them safer for everyone.
-Sheriff Oscar Martinez Jr.
(PHOTOS: Suspect Lewand Dixon from I-80/94 pursuit, crushed Lake County Police SUV from Toll Road pursuit, cache of drugs inside suspect SUV in Toll Road pursuit)