State Police Ask for Help Finding Suspect That Attacked Trooper

Authorities are asking for the public’s help in finding a suspect that attacked an on-duty trooper last month, according to the Illinois State Police.

Around 6:27 p.m. on Nov. 7, a state trooper dressed in plain clothes and driving an unmarked squad car attempted to question a suspicious person at the Halsted Street toll plaza on northbound I-294 in south suburban South Holland, the Illinois State Police said Tuesday in a release.

The suspect approached the trooper after he identified himself as a police officer, then produced a handgun and reached into the open driver’s side window of the car, authorities said.

“A struggle for the gun ensued and during the confrontation the offender fired at least one bullet inside the squad car,” the ISP said. The officer was not shot during the altercation, but was injured in the neck, Master Sgt. Jason Bradley said at the time. He was taken to an area hospital and is still recovering from his injuries, police said Tuesday.

The offender fled the scene, and a search conducted at the time was unsuccessful.

“We are asking the public for their assistance to find a very violent criminal," Capt. Bob Meeder said. "It appeared the subject was pretending to be on one of the maintenance workers at the site.”

The suspect is described as a black male in his late 40’s to early 50’s, according to police, standing around 5’10” and weighing approximately 180 pounds with a slender build. He had a “patchy and unkempt” black and white beard with significantly more white in the goatee area and was observed walking with a slight limp.