A Zion woman intentionally struck a bicyclist with her car after she and the cyclist got into a verbal altercation, police said.
Mariha Evans, 19, was charged with aggravated battery, assault and reckless driving following the Aug. 22 incident, according to Zion police.
At approximately 1:30 p.m. that day, the cyclist, a 66-year-old Kenosha, Wisconsin man, had gotten into an argument with Evans and her two passengers after they almost hit the bike rider with their car near the 2000 block of North Sheridan Road.
As the cyclist began riding away, Evans drove after him and then struck him with her Chevrolet Cruze, police said. She and her passengers then taunted the man before they drove off, according to authorities.
The man was taken to a hospital with what police said were non-life-threatening injuries. Police located the car about an hour later in the 2200 block of Ezekiel Avenue with Evans inside, and she was taken into custody.
Tactical move
The Waukegan Police Department and the Lake County Sheriff’s Office announced they are joining forces for specialized tactical operations.
The agencies said that WPD has agreed to join the sheriff’s Tactical Response Team.
“This partnership will unify the specialized resources, expertise, and personnel of both agencies into a single, highly capable unit, ensuring an effective response to critical incidents for the over 220,000 residents both agencies serve,” the sheriff’s office said.
The combined forces will have access to a broader range of skills and equipment, and will be able to quickly respond to specialized, high-risk situations.
“A quick response from highly trained personnel is essential during high-risk situations such as hostage situations or armed barricaded person calls. This collaboration will not only ensure we are keeping our community safe, but it will foster a deeper partnership between our two agencies,” Sheriff John Idleburg said.
“Operational efficiency has always been a priority,” Waukegan Police Chief Edgar Navarro added. “Collaborating with the Lake County sheriff gives us the opportunity to do more. Enhancing our efforts provides additional resources that benefit the safety of our residents.”
Firearms restraining orders
A group from Johns Hopkins University recently visited Lake County to help train police and service providers on firearms restraining orders.
The Johns Hopkins Extreme Risk Protection Order (ERPO) Resource Center staffers were hosted by the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office Gun Violence Prevention Initiative.
ERPO is part of a gun violence prevention group at Johns Hopkins that addresses gun violence as a public health issue and uses non-partisan data to develop solutions.
The ERPO representatives, along with the GVPI staff, and accompanied by staff from the Illinois Attorney General’s Office and the Illinois State Police, attended the monthly meeting of Lake County police chiefs. The meeting included training on firearm restraining orders.
The ERPO and GVPI teams also met with Lake County physicians and medical students to explain how medical professionals can use restraining orders. They also attended a roundtable event at Rosalind Franklin University.
“Our Gun Violence Prevention Initiative is saving lives by actively addressing the root causes of gun violence,” State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart said. “By limiting access to firearms through this type of court order, we can protect the public and prevent violence from those exhibiting dangerous behavior. This is our mission: to strategically increase resources and be proactive in crime prevention.”
