Holiday shoppers in the Chicago area were left stunned when a police chase broke out right in front of a Romeoville, Ill. Kohl's on Thursday night. The store alerted officers that a theft was in progress around 10 p.m. Thanksgiving night, the Chicago Tribune reports. The suburb is 30 miles southwest of Chicago.
As a patrol car pulled up to Kohl's, one of the suspects ran out of the store and jumped into a waiting car closing the door on the pursuing officer's arm. The driver then took off, dragging the officer with him.
"The officer was dragged quite some distance," Romeoville Police Chief Mark Turvey said at a news conference.
A second officer repeatedly yelled at the driver to stop and when he did not the officer fired three of four shots at the car, hitting the driver in the left arm and forcing him to stop. The officer has since been released from the hospital with minor injuries to his right shoulder.
Authorities identified the passenger as 51-year-old Robert Russell of Joliet and also arrested a third man in the store identified as 28-year-old Gerald Chamberlain also of Joliet. Russell was charged with attempted murder, according to the Will County Sheriff's office website. Chamberlain was charged with felony theft and the 52-year-old driver has been charged yet.
Some shoppers who were at the store getting an early start on Black Friday deals had no idea about the police activity happening outside while others said it would not stop them from their holiday shopping.
"I didn't hear a thing," Debbie Turner, of Lockport said as she was leaving Kohl's with her 26year-old daughter Meghan.
"I just need a nap so I can go back out at 5 a.m.," Meghan added.
Kohl's remained open on Friday following the incident.
