The 25-year-old man who police say led them on an extended police chase across Chicago's West Side Tuesday has fled officers before.
NBC 5 Investigates found that at the time of Tuesday's chase, Desmond T. Henry was on parole for a conviction of fleeing Chicago police and driving under the influence in July of 2014. Henry had been released from prison in March after serving 10 months of a 20-month sentence for that case.
Henry has also served time for what appears to be a hit-and-run accident in 2010, as well as drug convictions in 2012 and 2008.
At 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, Henry was observed in a rental car with a suspect wanted for double murder, prosecutors said. The two then switched rental cars to a black Cherokee, which was spotted by officers in the evening.
Henry was arrested after officers attempted to make an "investigatory stop on his vehicle" around 5:15 p.m. near Polk Street and California Avenue, police said. He then led police on a miles-long chase to the 200 block of North Central Avenue, where he jumped out of the car while it was still in "drive" and ran to a friend's apartment, prosecutors said.
Video footage of the chase showed the vehicle traveling around 70 miles per hour over a span of six or seven miles across the West Side. It appeared at least one car was struck during the chase.
A short time later, Henry was arrested. He was carrying a bag with 15 baggies of cannabis and about 100 rounds of ammunition. Police also found heroin in the Cherokee and a handgun with 13 live rounds, prosecutors said.
On Wednesday, Henry was charged with one felony count of aggravated fleeing police at a rate of more than 21 mph, aggravated assault of a police officer and four counts of felony unlawful use of a weapon by a felon. His bond was set at $500,000.
Henry also faces new charges for possession of a controlled substance and manufacture or delivery of cannabis along with numerous traffic citations.
