Wadsworth man ordered held in Lake County Jail after shooting, leading police to high-speed chase in Waukegan

Authorities said a Wadsworth man was ordered held in Lake County Jail after he fired a gun, fled from police at a high rate of speed and then hit a fire hydrant in Waukegan.

Jayden Coleman, 22, faces Class 4 felony charges of reckless discharge of a firearm, aggravated unlawful use of a firearm, and two counts of aggravated fleeing from police following a chase with Waukegan police at 3 a.m. on Sunday, June 9.

In addition, Coleman was charged with a misdemeanor count of obstructing a peace officer following an incident that began when a Waukegan detective sitting in his undercover police vehicle heard shots fired from three vehicles parked near McAree and Ridgeland roads in Waukegan in Assistant Lake County. State’s Attorney Colleen McConnell said in Lake County Detention Court Monday afternoon.

A detective approached the group after hearing gunshots and saw a person later identified as Coleman sitting behind the wheel of an SUV with what initially appeared to be a hoodie covering his face, McConnell said.

The detective turned on his lights and siren, prompting Coleman to drive his vehicle at a high rate of speed onto McAree Road, McConnell said.

McConnell said the vehicles reached speeds of 80 mph in a 30 mph zone because Coleman ignored a stop light and a stop sign.

McConnell said the pursuit ended when Coleman’s SUV hit a fire hydrant and caught fire. However, McConnell said Coleman jumped out of the car and tried to flee on foot.

McConnell said a second officer arrived on scene and assisted in the pursuit of Coleman.

However, during the pursuit, Coleman allegedly threw something out of his pants and officers heard a loud thump on the ground.

Coleman was eventually caught up and arrested, after which police discovered Coleman was wearing a ski mask covering his face, McConnell said.

McConnell said officers retraced the pursuit route and discovered Coleman had thrown a fully loaded gun to the ground.

McConnell told the court that officers processing crime scenes discovered a casing near McAree Road consistent with ammunition loaded in the gun they found.

Additionally, Coleman was released from the Lake County Jail after being released temporarily on a misdemeanor criminal damage to property charge in 2024, McConnell said.

McConnell said Coleman’s firearms ownership identification card was revoked earlier this year after a former girlfriend filed a protective order against him.

In that case, McConnell said Coleman waited for her for hours outside the ex-girlfriend’s workplace, then forced his way into her car and began lighting tissue paper on fire while they both sat in the vehicle.

“When someone behaves in a risky and reckless manner, such as setting fire to items in a closed car that also contains extremely flammable gasoline, they pose a risk to themselves and others in the vehicle,” McConnell said.

Lake County Associate Judge Theodore Potkonjak ordered Coleman held in the Lake County Jail pending trial.

“He probably should have been in Wadsworth, cuddled up in bed, not shooting at the corner of Ridgeland and McAree,” Potkonjak said.

Coleman is scheduled to return to court on July 9.