A morning walk in the Loop turned into a nightmare when a man armed with a nail-studded sign allegedly knocked a 67-year-old stranger unconscious, minutes later attacked a second man and then fought with police as officers tried to arrest him, prosecutors said.
Judge John Hock ordered Darion Turley, 27, of River Grove, held on five counts of aggravated battery resulting from the May 22 attacks.
According to prosecutors, Turley launched the first attack around 8:30 a.m. near Wabash Avenue and Roosevelt Road. They said he started shouting at a 67-year-old man before sticking out a four-foot-long wooden two-by-four with nails and starting swinging it “like a baseball bat.”
The victim used his baton to block some blows, but Turley knocked him to the ground and struck him in the head and left arm, prosecutors alleged. The attack left the man unconscious and with a broken arm. Paramedics took him to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, where he underwent surgery and remained hospitalized earlier this week, according to court records.
After the attack, prosecutors said Turley walked north on Michigan Avenue with the sign in his hand and aggressively yelled at passersby. He then turned and chased a 29-year-old man into traffic on Michigan Avenue, forcing the second victim to avoid vehicles, prosecutors said. Turley allegedly caught up with him and also hit him in the back of the head with the nail-riddled plank. Prosecutors say the second victim ran back to the sidewalk and collapsed.
Turley continued driving north until Chicago police officers spotted him near the 600 block of South Michigan Avenue, prosecutors said. When officers tried to arrest him, Turley raised the sign and threatened them, according to an arrest file. He reportedly ignored orders to drop the weapon and punched an officer in the neck. Prosecutors said Turley continued to wave the sign at officers, though he didn’t hit any of them, and failed to comply even after he was tasered. Officers eventually placed him on the ground and took him into custody.
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