DeKalb police officers injured in crash with stolen car: sheriff

DeKALB – Two DeKalb police officers were hospitalized with injuries Tuesday after a squad car they were in was struck by a stolen vehicle driven by a man who initially gave a false name and fled from authorities, police said.

The two officers were taken to Northwestern Medicine Kishwaukee Hospital, according to the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office. When reached about 7 p.m. Tuesday, DeKalb Police Chief David Byrd said both of the officers are expected to recover.

DeKalb County Sheriff’s Chief Deputy Jim Burgh said the two officers' injuries weren’t life-threatening.

“When I left the hospital, they were both still going through tests, and I’m not quite sure of the outcome of that,” Burgh said.

Kevin Andrew Fox, 24, is charged with aggravated battery, aggravated reckless driving and five counts of aggravated fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer, court records show. If convicted, he could face up to 15 years in prison.

During Fox’s initial court appearance Wednesday, Circuit Court Judge Philip Montgomery said one DeKalb officer suffered a broken shoulder and torn ligaments in a shoulder joint. The other officer suffered facial injuries.

The judge ordered Fox held without release pending trial. Fox is expected to appear for another hearing at 1:30 p.m. Feb. 27, although he’s also wanted for homicide out of Georgia, court records show.

Authorities recently had Fox in custody at the DeKalb County Jail for more than a month while trying to get him extradited to face the homicide charge in Atlanta, court records show.

But Montgomery released Fox on Dec. 23, citing in his ruling delayed extradition proceedings from Fulton County, Georgia, that left him “unable to proceed.” Prosecutors had been trying to get Fox extradited since Nov. 12, records show. Extradition papers also require a signature from the Georgia governor’s office.

DeKalb County State’s Attorney Riley Oncken’s office filed new papers Wednesday to try for a second time to get Fox extradited to Georgia, records show.

In his ruling to detain Fox, Montgomery cited Fox’s criminal history, Fox’s pending homicide charges and that Fox hadn’t shown up to court before.

“As noted, the defendant has a prior hijacking of a motor vehicle, he’s wanted for murder out of Georgia, and he has a separate warrant out for his arrest from Georgia for possession of firearm by a felon,” Montgomery said.

During the hearing, Fox twice triede to interrupted Montgomery before being allowed to speak.

“I thought this was a pretrial hearing,” Fox said. “I didn’t know it was to say if I was guilty or not, and everything I just heard people say is expressing that I’m guilty when I’m not. I only had a failure to appear because I was in y’all’s jurisdiction, inside of your jail. And you released me on that.”

On Tuesday morning, about a month after Fox’s release, DeKalb police saw a Nissan Rogue at a Marathon gas station, 125 N. Annie Glidden Road. The car had been reported stolen. Police were on the lookout for the car after an area license plate camera picked up the car, according to the sheriff’s office.

A DeKalb police detective pulled up behind the Nissan and put the emergency lights on. But the driver, with the gas nozzle still in the tank, sped away south on North Annie Glidden Road, authorities said.

The driver, who police later said was Fox, went through a red light at Lincoln Highway and Annie Glidden, driving in the far left lane of the road. About 11 a.m. Tuesday, the Nissan turned right onto North Knolls Drive and struck an unmarked DeKalb police squad car, injuring the two officers inside, records show.

Fox got out of the Nissan and fled on foot, authorities said. A DeKalb police officer caught up to him and arrested him.

Burgh said Fox also was briefly hospitalized in DeKalb as a precaution, but he did not suffer injuries. Burgh said they learned that Fox had given them a false identity at the time of his arrest.

“We identified him from prior arrest booking photos we have and certain tattoos that were consistent with what’s on him and what he has in the booking photos,” Burgh said.

Fox disputed the sheriff’s office account in court Wednesday.

“I did not lie about my age, nor did I lie about my name,” Fox said.

Burgh said deputies are handling the crash investigation since DeKalb city police officers were injured in the crash.

Daily Chronicle Editor Kelsey Rettke contributed to this report.

This story was updated at 9:20 a.m. Jan. 29, 2025, to edit an earlier version that misstated why the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office was handling the crash investigation. Fox also did not suffer injuries in the crash.