A southwest suburban man is charged with reversing his car into a Chicago police officer and carrying an automatic-fire pistol near the Viagra Triangle downtown on Tuesday afternoon.
Anthony Sheko, 23, of Country Club Hills is charged with felony aggravated battery of a peace officer and felony unlawful use of an automatic weapon.
Cops were on patrol when their squad car’s license plate reader returned a “hit” on a stolen Dodge Charger that was parked on Maple Street just west of State Street around 4 p.m., according to police and prosecutors.
Officers approached the car, opened the driver’s door, and ordered Sheko out from behind the wheel, prosecutors said during a bond hearing Wednesday. Rather than get out, Sheko slammed the car into reverse, causing an officer to become pinned between the vehicle’s door and a steel flower planter, according to prosecutors.
The cop fell to the ground, rolled out of the way, got up, and ordered Sheko out of the car at gunpoint. Sheko then complied, prosecutors said.
According to the state, officers who searched the car found a loaded handgun with an extended magazine and a switch to convert the weapon to fully-automatic fire.
The injured officer remained hospitalized at Northwestern Memorial Hospital on Wednesday to treat swelling and bruising to both legs.
Judge David Navarro ordered Sheko held in lieu of $100,000 bail. He’ll need to post a $10,000 deposit bond to get out of jail.
A 29-year-old woman who was sitting in the car’s passenger seat is charged with possession of a controlled substance. Prosecutors said Asia Spann was carrying 19 Oxycodone pills when police patted her down after the incident.