Cops: Elgin man elbows officer, drags him into Fox River

Pepper spray was apparently not enough to subdue a 54-year-old Elgin man intent on resisting arrest Tuesday evening by wading deep into the Fox River with the cop who tried to handcuff him.

Court documents say Myron F. Ball elbowed the police officer in the head on land and even pulled the officer into the river while continuing to fight the arrest - once the officer was chin-deep in the river, he let go of Ball.

In the end, Elgin police, with help and boats from Elgin and South Elgin fire personnel, got their man.

"He was cooperative," said Deputy Police Chief Jeff Swoboda. "He kind of grabbed the side of the boat and came onto shore."

Ball lives in the 300 block of Liberty Street and is charged with felony aggravated battery and resisting a police officer, a misdemeanor.

On Wednesday morning, he told Kane County Judge Karen Simpson he didn't understand what all the fuss was about.

"I didn't do anything wrong, I was minding my own business," he said.

Reports said that at 5:29 p.m. Tuesday, the officer approached Ball on the bike path - just south of Lessenden Place - because he was drinking a bottle of malt liquor in public, a violation of local law.

Ball repeatedly refused to give the officer his name for the ticket and when the officer attempted to arrest him, Ball elbowed him in the head, documents said.

The officer was not injured during the fracas, Swoboda said.

A struggle ensued when the officer tried handcuffing Ball, the officer shot him with pepper spray and then Ball dragged the officer with him into the river, court documents said.

Simpson set his bond at 10 percent of $35,000, which Ball was unable to post.

He was taken to the Kane County jail and is due in court May 22 at the Kane County Judicial Center.

Ball faces between three and seven years in prison and fines up to $25,000, if convicted on the felony charge.