Man shot by Joliet police during car chase
By Janet Lundquist jlundquist@stmedianetwork.com July 30, 2012 3:56PM
James Pacheco
Updated: September 1, 2012 6:12AM
A man who claimed only a bullet could stop him proved himself wrong early Monday.
James A. Pacheco, 35, of Lockport was stopped by a light pole after being shot by Joliet police during a car chase.
Pacheco was allegedly breaking the windows of a residence in the 300 block of Union Street about 2:30 a.m. when somebody called police.
Officers stopped Pacheco’s vehicle at Washington Street and Melchoir Court. When they got out of the car, Pacheco took off, headed east on Washington.
Police gave chase. When Pacheco was stopped by a train in the 900 block of East Washington Street, he did a U-turn so his vehicle was facing the police vehicle.
Ignoring a police order to get out of the car, Pacheco hit the gas, driving directly at the officers, police said.
One officer jumped out of the way, the other fired his gun.
Then the chase was on again. Pacheco led the police to the corner of State and Division streets in Lockport where his vehicle crashed into a light pole.
Pacheco was shot in the arm, and a bullet grazed his face, said Joliet Police Chief Mike Trafton.
The shooting was ruled justified, and the officer who shot at Pacheco was placed on leave until further notice, Trafton said.
Pacheco was hospitalized Monday under police guard. He faces charges of driving under the influence, aggravated fleeing and eluding, and criminal damage to property.
Additional charges are possible, Trafton said.
This isn’t Pacheco’s first run-in with police.
Rockdale police arrested Pacheco in January for breaking the windows on a house and a vehicle belonging to an ex, said Rockdale Police Chief Robert Dykstra.
The victim obtained an order of protection against Pacheco, but he was back in March, screaming at her from her yard, Dykstra said.
He told a Rockdale police officer who reached him by phone, “No (expletive) Rockdale cop is going to stop me,” Dykstra said, adding that Pacheco told the officer he was “going to have to shoot him.”
Rockdale police obtained a warrant for aggravated stalking after that incident, Dykstra said.
