A man who police say was on the run for days in various Chicago suburbs was killed in a shootout with police Wednesday, the Kane County sheriff’s office said.
The man, who wasn’t immediately identified, was suspected in a carjacking in Aurora on Wednesday afternoon. Police tried to pull him over near South Elgin, but he didn’t stop, according to a release from Kane County Sheriff Ronald Hain. Police say the man was armed with a handgun and traveling in a stolen gray Honda Accord.
The suspect was eventually stopped at the intersection of South Randall Road and Fabyan Parkway in Geneva, the release said. The suspect drew a weapon, and police deployed a canine officer named Hudson to try to subdue him, police said.
Police and the suspect fired at each other, and both the suspect and Hudson were struck, according to the release.
The suspect was taken to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead. He was later identified by the Kane County coroner’s office as James Moriarty, 38, of Aurora.
During an investigation, police determined the suspect was “the same individual that had fled from other officers from various agencies in days prior.”
Hudson, the canine officer, also died.
“This is a big loss for us, but he’s an absolute hero to us today,” Hain said in a video posted on Facebook.
Hudson was named after an Illinois State trooper who was killed in the line of duty, Hain said. He had been with the sheriff’s department for several years.
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call the Kane County Sheriff’s investigations division at (630) 444-1103.
