Trio Accused Of Beating, Strangling Officer During Traffic Stop

AURORA, IL — Three people were arrested Monday night after police said the trio attacked, beat, kicked and strangled an Aurora police officer during a late night traffic stop.

Jennifer Taylor, 24, Sheba Taylor, 26, and Paul Sherrod, 28, were pulled over just after 10:30 p.m. Monday after an Aurora police officer said he saw their car roll through a stop sign near Plum Street and Randall Road.

After signaling for Sherrod, the driver, to pull over into a driveway in the 600 block of North Elmwood Drive, the officer said Sherrod started yelling obscenities at him. While approaching the car, the officer said a female passenger got out of the back seat and began walking towards him, despite multiple orders to get back into the vehicle.

As the officer began putting the woman under arrest for obstruction, the male driver exited the vehicle and threatened the officer before taking off running, police said in a news release. While the officer chased after the man, the two female passengers followed, kicking and hitting him repeatedly, allowing the male driver to hit him in the head, according to the officer's account. Police then said one of the women strangled the officer until other personnel arrived on the scene and got the group into custody.

The officer was taken to an area hospital.

"Our Aurora police officers are entrusted with keeping our community safe from harm. I am at a loss of words when an officer is physically attacked from something that would have been a simple traffic ticket," Police Chief Kristen Ziman said. "We will not allow our city to become a place where criminals feel emboldened, and lawlessness ensues."

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Jennifer Taylor, of Chicago, was charged with five felonies, including aggravated assault of a police officer. Sheba Taylor and Paul Sherrod, both of Aurora, were also charged with five felonies. Both women were held on a $50,000 bond, while Sherrod was held on $75,000 bond.

"This type of lawlessness and violence against our police officers cannot and will not be tolerated," said Mayor Richard C. Irvin. "This was an act of malice and cowardice and I will absolutely seek that the perpetrators are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Let's keep this officer in our prayers as the officer makes a full and complete recovery."