A Chicago woman accused of shoplifting at a Roosevelt Road grocery store led police on a foot chase through Forest Park until finally being subdued by a stun gun. According to a department report, 23-year-old Niesha Gates fled the Ultra Foods store after she was told by employees there that they believed she had stolen several items. Gates initially went quietly with the security personnel, then scratched and bit the man as she ran out of the store.
Authorities were called to the store at 8:45 p.m. Aug. 11 and found Gates in the passenger seat of a car that was leaving the area. When police stopped the vehicle, Gates took off running, leading the officer through the backyards of several residential properties along the 1100 block of Thomas Ave., according to the report. Gates then threw her purse at the officer and hopped a fence, at which point the pursuit was picked up by other police called to the area.
“Several minutes later, Officer Scott McClintock viewed Gates running through the 1100 Thomas/Hannah alley and commanded her to stop,” Officer Dan Miller said in his report.
Miller then spotted the woman running from McClintock along Roosevelt Road and ordered her to stop. She fled north along Hannah Avenue and police again gave chase. Miller told the woman that if she did not stop running she would be “tased,” at which point the officer fired his Taser into Gates’ back, according to the officer’s report.
“After receiving one cycle with the Taser, Gates was ordered to put her hands behind her back, which she did,” said authorities in a department report. “Gates was placed into custody at that time.”
Once in custody, Gates allegedly began kicking and spitting at officers who were attempting to search her at the police station. From her purse, authorities reportedly found 18 items stolen from the grocery store, along with nine pills of the synthetic drug Ecstasy. Gates then told authorities that she was pregnant and injured and needed medical treatment. At the hospital she allegedly continued to spit and yell at police.
In total, at least six police officers were involved in the arrest.
Gates was charged with felony drug possession, two felony counts of aggravated battery, one of which involved a police officer, retail theft, battery and three counts of resisting arrest. Gates was also arrested on an outstanding warrant for failing to appear in court on an obstruction charge. She’s schedule to appear in circuit court on Sept. 2.
