Federal immigration agents detained an immigrant on Tuesday morning following a car chase through the Northwest Side that ended in a crash, based on accounts from federal officials, surveillance footage, and neighbors. Home security video shared with the Tribune reveals two dark vehicles pursuing a red car on West Grace Street towards the 3800 block of North Olcott Avenue in the Dunning neighborhood at 10:24 a.m. Sirens blare in the background as the footage shows one vehicle colliding with the red car near the intersection of Grace and Olcott. The red car veers right onto Olcott, moving out of sight, while the others slow down and continue their pursuit.
A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson confirmed in a statement that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was conducting a “targeted enforcement operation” to arrest Konrad Wojciech Darlak, described by the agency as “a criminal illegal alien from Poland.” The spokesperson reported that Darlak attempted to evade capture, leading to a collision with an ICE vehicle and eventually striking a tree, after which he fled on foot. ICE officers “used the minimum amount of force” to detain him, the spokesperson added.
A doorbell camera image shows federal law enforcement vehicles chasing a red sedan toward North Olcott Avenue in Chicago’s Dunning neighborhood on June 9, 2026. A person was reportedly detained after crashing the car into a tree, according to Edward Krueger, who witnessed the incident.
DHS disclosed that Darlak had previous arrests for possession of dangerous drugs, obstruction of justice, domestic battery, and transportation of hazardous materials. He had convictions for retail theft, resisting a peace officer, and domestic battery. Court records revealed Darlak pleaded guilty to resisting a peace officer and domestic battery charges in 2011, receiving a one-year community service sentence. He also faced numerous retail theft charges in suburban Cook County, some over a decade old. In 2024, Darlak was sentenced to 18 months of supervision after a guilty plea to a DUI charge, as per court documents. The Tribune reached out to the attorney’s office handling Darlak’s DUI case but did not get a response by Tuesday night. The arrest concerning hazardous materials remained unverified by the Tribune.
A police report obtained by the Tribune stated that two ICE agents approached Darlak as he got into his car on North Nottingham Avenue, intending to arrest him. According to the report, Darlak reversed into one of the agent’s cars and repeatedly sideswiped another while attempting to escape. After a brief chase, all vehicles arrived at North Olcott where Darlak lost control. ICE agents took Darlak to Loyola Hospital in Maywood for observation, the report said.
This pursuit comes shortly after federal agents chased and detained another individual in Albany Park, as various published reports indicated. Following the arrest, dozens gathered in Horner Park to protest federal enforcement actions. It’s been over six months since the Trump administration’s Operation Midway Blitz began in Chicago, a 64-day operation which saw approximately 3,800 arrests of noncitizens and around 2,500 deportations, many of those involved had no criminal records.
Edward Krueger, residing near Grace and Olcott, ran out after hearing sirens and witnessed two unmarked vehicles with police lights. He reviewed his home surveillance footage and saw the chase and collision. From a block away, Krueger noticed someone placed into an unmarked vehicle. He observed three apparent federal agents, one wearing a vest labeled “police,” another labeled “police” with “ICE” beneath, and a third with “customs enforcement.”
In other videos, two masked federal officers stand near the crash scene as Chicago police put up red tape. By early afternoon, the red car remained against a tree near Grace and Olcott, with a tow truck arriving around 1:30 p.m. to remove it. As it was towed, a pole the car had hit became visible, alongside a tire track marked in mud. No federal agents were seen at that time. Two CPD officers observed the car’s removal as neighbors and bystanders lingered, though the area calmed by midday.
Neighbors described the block as typically quiet, with minimal police activity. Krueger, who moved to the neighborhood in 2023 because it seemed safe for his young son, remarked on the rarity of such commotion. He recalled his teacher wife’s accounts on how federal activities affected her students’ families during last year’s deportation efforts, which did not seem to impact him directly. Seeing this activity nearby now feels frustrating to him. “I’m more affected by these federal agencies’ actions than by anyone they are supposedly chasing,” he shared. “I’ve never had an issue with an immigrant, yet now I watched an ICE agent ram a car right outside my house.”