VIDEO: Aurora Police Pursue Shooting Suspect

John Sperry allegedly shot a man in the face and then evaded police at speeds up to 60 miles per hour on the streets of Aurora until he crashed, according to police reports obtained by Patch.

On March 4 around 4:40 p.m., Sperry allegedly drove up in his blue 1988 Cadillac Brougham to an Aurora home on the 300 block of Jackson Street. Police would later note that the car was in “overall beater condition.”

Sperry, 55, of Aurora, stayed in his car while he argued with the man he knew. The victim was standing in his driveway when Sperry allegedly shot him in the face, according to police. Police initially said that Sperry had a personally dispute with the 56-year-old victim.

Sperry drove off, and the victim called 911.

An officer found the victim sitting on a chair outside his home. There was a small puncture wound just to the left of the victim’s mouth, and the officer performed first aid.

A responding medic found another wound on the back of the victim’s neck. A doctor at Mercy Hospital said there was no bullet in the victim’s face of neck and that the victim was in stable condition.

Sperry’s speed varied from 30 to 60 miles per hour during the chase that covered a large swath of the city's east side. At one point, Sperry drove through the parking lot of the Bubble Queen laundromat, where he nearly hit an officer who was deploying stop sticks.

He was driving south on Lincoln Avenue when he tried to turn left onto Claim Street. Sperry lost control and slid sideways into a utility pole.

Police officers arrested Sperry at gunpoint. He complained of back pain and officers called for an ambulance.

From Sperry’s vehicle, Police recovered a silver .38-caliber revolver with a spent bullet casing in the cylinder.

Sperry had a Firearm Owner’s Identification Card but not a concealed carry license that would allow him to legally carry a loaded firearm in his car. He also had an 11-inch folding knife and a black knit ski mask when we was arrested

Officers drove two witnesses separately by the crash scene to identify determine if Sperry was the shooter; they indicated that he was.

In the ambulance on the way to Copely Hospital, Sperry voluntarily said that he did not stop for the police because his brakes weren’t working. Dash camera video shows Sperry braking several times during the pursuit.

Sperry is being held at the Kane County Correctional Center. He has been charged with first-degree attempted murder, aggravated battery and aggravated unlawful use of a weapon.

John W. Sperry (Aurora Police Department)

A charge is merely an accusation of a crime, not a finding of guilt.

On Friday, the Aurora Police Department published a warning to stay clear of police pursuits.

"Remember that vehicles traveling at high rates of speeds through populated areas pose risks to those who may want to 'get closer to the action'. A criminal trying to avoid officers and elude arrest could lose control of their vehicle and end up crashing into yards (or buildings) in the blink of an eye," the post said.

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Photo at top from dash camera video provided by the Aurora Police Department

Note: This article was updated at 12:30 on 3/24/2017 to include the Aurora Police Department's warning about staying clear of police pursuits.