Huntley bank robbery suspect caught

A 29-year-old man was behind bars Saturday after Huntley police said he walked into a bank carrying a shotgun, robbed it of an undisclosed amount of cash and then led officers on a chase during which he intentionally rammed a police car head-on.

The Huntley man is in police custody on pending charges stemming from the late morning holdup of the Harris Bank at 12920 Route 47.

Police said he walked into the bank about 11 a.m., approached a bank teller carrying a shotgun and demanded money. After receiving cash, the suspect fled in a white Ford Tempo.

A description of the man and his vehicle was given to officers who spotted the suspect driving the Tempo near Route 47 and Powers Road, police said. The suspect sped away when officers tried to make a traffic stop, police said, starting a chase that traveled from Powers Road to Big Timber Road in Elgin.

Elgin authorities said at least eight of its patrol cars joined the chase. When the suspect approached Elm and Walnut streets, Elgin officials said, he intentionally hit a police car head-on, spinning the vehicle around and sending it crashing into another police car. No one was hurt.

Police said the man continued west on Walnut and then east on South Street, where he jumped the curb and blew out his tires before the vehicle came to rest at the bottom of a grassy hill. The man got out of the vehicle and tried to escape on foot, but was captured and taken into custody, police said.

Inside the car, police reported finding a weapon and money believed taken from the bank. The suspect was taken to the Huntley Police Department, where he was being held late Saturday afternoon pending charges.

The FBI is assisting with the case, police said. The Daily Herald is withholding the suspect's name until he is formally charged.