St. John Officer Saves Two Kids From Drowning After Pursuit

On December 12, 2021 at 11:08 PM, police officers with the Lake County Sheriff’s Department conducted a traffic stop on a passenger car traveling at a high rate of speed near 101st and White Oak Avenue in St. John, Indiana, according to The Lake County Sheriff’s Department.

During the course of the investigation, officers discovered a male passenger in the car had an active out-of-state warrant. When officers removed the subject from the vehicle, he fled the scene on foot. Officers chased the subject and he ran into a creek or retention pond. Officers helped the male suspect out of the water and he was treated for exposure.

While officers were chasing the male suspect, the female driver fled the scene in her vehicle with two small children who were not properly restrained in child safety seats, nearly striking officers.

St. John Police Officer Darrell Shaffer spotted the car that fled from the traffic stop and license plates matched. Officer Shaffer tried to stop the vehicle which refused to stop and fled northbound on Calumet Ave and then westbound on 101st onto Exchange in Illinois and then northbound on 394, St. John Police told RNS. The windows of the vehicle had dark tint so the officer was unable to see inside.

The suspect vehicle then entered 80/94 eastbound and fled back into Indiana. The vehicle tried to exit at Kennedy Ave but lost control because of high speeds, St. John officials stated. The KIA left the ramp airborne coming to rest in the retention pond on Kennedy Ave.

Officer Shaffer jumped in the murky cold water and could see that the driver was still seated behind the wheel.

The officer noticed a child’s car seat and felt around underwater in the car and located one child. He then felt the leg of a second child and pulled that child above water to safety. The kids, an 8-month-old girl and a 3-year-old girl were not severely injured thanks to the quick action of Officer Shaffer. The driver was ordered out of the vehicle and was able to get on the hood of the vehicle. She then made it on to the bank where she was taken into custody by Lake County Officers. The driver, a 24-year-old female from Chicago, and both children were transported to an area hospital to be evaluated. The children were later transported to Comer Children’s Hospital in Chicago.

The male passenger is 26 years old, from Chicago, the Sheriffs Department said. He was transported to an area hospital to be treated for exposure.

Indiana Department of Child Services was contacted to investigate this case as well.

The male passenger could face a criminal charge for fleeing. The female passenger may face a felony resisting charge as well as two counts of felony neglect of a dependent.

“St. John Police Department is extremely proud of Officer Shaffer. He did not hesitate and his actions went above and beyond to save the lives of not one but two children,” St. John Police Chief Steve Flores said.

Lake County Sheriff Department will be handling the charges of the female and the arrest of the wanted male. Check back for updates as charges are pending.
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