A Chicago man was sentenced to six months in jail Monday for striking a police detective with a car as he fled an Oakbrook Terrace store following a shoplifting incident.
In addition to the 180-day jail term, Devin Dawson, 20, of the 8400 block of South Justine Street, was placed on 30 months’ probation after pleading guilty to battery and a forgery charge for an unrelated incident.
Dawson apologized for striking the officer with his car, which he called an accident. The officer was thrown onto the hood of the fleeing car before he was thrown off. Dawson said the officer held on for five seconds. The officer was injured, though not seriously, authorities said.
DuPage County Judge Robert Miller asked Dawson what part of the series of events should be considered an accident.
“Was it an accident that you didn’t put on the brakes?” Miller asked.
“No, your honor,” Dawson said.
The incident took place at a home improvement store on May 4 after Dawson and three accomplices committed retail theft, authorities said. The on-duty plainclothes detective, who was from neighboring Oak Brook and in the store to buy supplies, chased Dawson to the parking lot.
After striking the detective and then tossing the officer from the hood, Dawson drove away and went home, authorities said. He was arrested three days later and has been in custody since then.
DuPage County prosecutors asked for a prison sentence, but Dawson’s attorney asked for the 180-day term, saying this was Dawson’s first felony conviction and he had spent his life in state foster care.
He was only 19 when he struck the officer, but the judge chided him for not knowing better.
“A 10-year-old knows you don’t hit another human being with a car,” Miller said.
At the time of the offense Dawson was out on bond, awaiting trial for allegedly passing a counterfeit $100 bill at a clothing store in 2015. With credit for time served, Dawson should be released from jail in about 45 days.
Clifford Ward is a freelance reporter.
