Man Leads Cops on Foot Chase, Turns Himself in a Day Later

A minor traffic offense led on a foot chase on Oct 22. Their prey got away, but later he had second thoughts.

When on-duty officer saw a car make right turn onto 87th Street near California Avenue without signaling at 11 a.m., he stopped it in the 2400 block, police said. According to reports, the driver, James Smith, 26, of Chicago, had no valid proof of insurance, but the officer learned that he was on parole and had a suspended license. Upon placing him under arrest, police said he refused to place his hands behind his back, then he ran eastbound toward Western Avenue into the Beverly Country Club.

Police said they set up a perimeter in the area, with help from the , including their K-9 unit, but Smith was not located.

According to reports, Smith turned himself in at 10 a.m. on Oct. 22, and “he said he ran because he was scared because he was on parole.”

Police charged Smith with resisting a police officer, failure to signal, no insurance and driving on a suspended license.

Police report information is provided by the  and other law enforcement agencies. Charges are not evidence of guilt. They are a record of police actions on a given day, and persons charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court. If you or a family member are charged or cited and the case is subsequently adjudicated, we encourage you to notify the editor. We will verify and report the outcome.