Federal immigration agents detained an immigrant after a high-speed chase on Tuesday morning. The pursuit unfolded in the quiet streets of the Northwest Side until the immigrant’s car crashed into a tree, according to federal officials, surveillance footage, and neighbors.
Home security video footage highlights the chase involving two dark-colored cars pursuing a red car on West Grace Street, heading towards the 3800 block of North Olcott Avenue in the Dunning neighborhood of Chicago. This event occurred at 10:24 a.m. Amidst blaring sirens, the footage captures one vehicle ramming the red car near the intersection of Grace and Olcott. The red car then veers right onto Olcott and goes out of sight as the other cars reduce speed but continue pursuit.
A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security confirmed that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) conducted a targeted operation to apprehend Konrad Wojciech Darlak, identified as “a criminal illegal alien from Poland.” The spokesperson stated that Darlak attempted to evade arrest, resulting in a collision with an ICE vehicle and eventually hitting a tree. Darlak then fled on foot, but ICE officers were able to detain him using minimal force.
A doorbell camera image captures federal law enforcement vehicles pursuing a red sedan toward the 3800 block of North Olcott Avenue in Chicago’s Dunning neighborhood on June 9, 2026. A person was reportedly detained after the sedan struck a tree. – Edward Krueger
DHS revealed that Darlak had prior arrests for various offenses, including possession of dangerous drugs, obstruction of justice, domestic battery, and transport of dangerous materials. His convictions include retail theft, resisting a peace officer, and domestic battery. In 2011, Darlak received a sentence of one year of community service after pleading guilty to resisting a peace officer and domestic battery charges. He also pled guilty to several retail theft charges across suburban Cook County over the past decade.
In 2024, Darlak was sentenced to one and a half years of supervision following a guilty plea for a DUI charge. Efforts to reach the attorney’s office representing Darlak in his DUI case were unsuccessful on Tuesday night. The Tribune could not verify the arrest related to dangerous materials.
A police report accessed by the Tribune mentions that two ICE agents approached a man as he entered his car in the 3600 block of North Nottingham Avenue. The man reversed his car into one of the agent’s vehicles and repeatedly sideswiped the other before driving off. After a brief chase, all cars ended up on the 3800 block of North Olcott where the man lost control. He was later taken to Loyola Hospital in Maywood for observation.
This incident follows another ICE pursuit and detention in Albany Park last week. After the recent arrest, community members gathered in Horner Park to protest federal enforcement actions. Over six months have passed since the Trump administration’s Operation Midway Blitz in Chicago, which saw approximately 3,800 arrests of noncitizens and nearly 2,500 deportations. Most of those detained had no criminal record.
Edward Krueger, a resident of the area near Grace and Olcott, heard sirens and saw two unmarked vehicles with flashing lights. Upon checking his home surveillance footage, he witnessed the car chase and subsequent collision. Krueger observed federal agents placing a person into one of the unmarked cars. The agents wore vests labeled “police,” “ICE,” and “customs enforcement.”
Additional videos show two masked federal officers near the crashed car with Chicago police setting up red tape around the scene. By Tuesday afternoon, the damaged red car remained over the curb, pressed against a tree near Grace and Olcott. Around 1:30 p.m., a tow truck arrived to remove the vehicle. As it was pulled back, it revealed a pole that the car had evidently knocked over. Visible tire tracks were left in the muddy grass area along the sidewalk.
Krueger noted that their block is usually quiet, making such police activities a rarity. He moved to the neighborhood in 2023 for its peaceful environment, suitable for raising his young son. Although unaware of the direct impact of the previous federal deportation efforts, Krueger mentioned his wife’s experiences as a Chicago Public Schools teacher and their effects on students and families. The recent activity frustrated him, as he felt more affected negatively by the federal agencies than by those being targeted. “I haven’t had any problems with an immigrant, but now I’ve watched an ICE agent ram a car right outside of my house,” Krueger said.
Reporters Caroline Kubzansky and Armando Sanchez contributed to this article.
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