Two South Bend men are in custody after Portage police said a shoplifting spree at the Portage Meijer and the battery of a loss prevention employee there preceded a chase on the Indiana Toll Road at speeds up to 100 mph before the suspects crashed their van in a Chicago neighborhood, drawing a large crowd.

Police said in several reports filed on the incident that they first received a call about a road rage incident involving a windowless white van around 10:30 p.m. Monday in the area of U.S. 6 and Willowcreek Road.

When police tried to stop the van at Willowcreek Road and the Interstate 80 entrance ramp, the van ignored police and continued onto the westbound highway ramp, striking a plastic arm for the Indiana Toll Road toll booth.

Speeds initially reached 100 mph “but quickly reduced to 87-88 mph,” police said, adding in the meantime, they learned that the suspect was involved with a possible felony theft from Meijer, 6050 U.S. 6, and battery to a store employee.

Police said traffic was “consistently light” during the pursuit on the Toll Road, with the van changing lanes several times without signaling before getting off at the Indianapolis Boulevard exit in Hammond, again breaking the toll booth arm.

The van, police said, ended up westbound on 106th Street in Chicago’s East Side neighborhood, before disregarding stop signs and at least one red light, and then “mounted the curb at Yates Avenue and drove through the front yards of several apartments, striking a handrail where it eventually crashed into a concrete pylon at Yates Avenue in the Trumbull Park neighborhood of Chicago.”

Police said the passenger, Steven Martin, got out of the van and on the ground so police could handcuff him, as advised, but driver Chris Shreve, 46, refused to get out so officers broke the window and ordered him to crawl out the window. He was placed on the ground and put into handcuffs. Police said both air bags in the van deployed and Martin and Shreve complained of pain from the crash, and Martin had facial injuries and burns.

“The scene was somewhat chaotic in that the van’s horn was activated and a light smoke was emanating from the engine and front seat area as well as police sirens were still activated,” police said.

While no bystanders were around at the time of the crash, “I now observed that at least 60 nearby residents had exited their apartments/homes and were surrounding the area around us with most of them having a cellphone out recording what was occurring,” police said, adding a police helicopter also was overhead.

Police asked an older woman where the nearest hospital was

and after she said it was close, they asked her to call 911 and request an ambulance. Another officer called 911 and requested Chicago police to the location. Chicago police handled the crash report.

“As we were waiting for police and fire/EMS to arrive, many in the crowd began wanting to know in a stern manner what happened and why we were there,” police said, adding they told bystanders that there had been a theft and battery in Portage and ensuing pursuit, and police were trying to keep the public safe.

“I also informed them that we had an ambulance coming to assess the suspects and they were going to be OK. A couple bystanders said thank you for letting them know what was occurring. However, a couple other bystanders were still not happy with our presence,” police said.

At Meijer, police said Martin allegedly battered a loss prevention employee as he left the store with more than $1,400 in goods he hadn’t paid for, including two vacuum cleaners worth almost $300 each; clothing; cologne; razors; a coffee maker; sunglasses; a toaster; several bottles of liquor; and socks, boxers and undershirts.

Martin was taken to a Chicago hospital with a broken nose and right cheek and was transported to Porter County Jail after he was discharged. Shreve initially declined medical treatment but was taken to Northwest Health-Porter because jail staff would not admit him until he was medically cleared.

Shreve is charged with felony counts of resisting law enforcement, possession of methamphetamine and theft with a prior conviction; and misdemeanor charges of reckless driving causing bodily injury, two counts of leaving the scene of an accident, possession of drug paraphernalia, and operating while intoxicated. He also had an outstanding warrant from Dane County, Wisconsin.

Martin is charged with felony counts of possession of methamphetamine and theft with a prior conviction; and misdemeanor counts of resisting law enforcement, battery causing an injury and possession of drug paraphernalia,

Along the route of the pursuit, police said they notified Indiana State Police, the Hammond and East Chicago police departments, and the Illinois State Police.

Amy Lavalley is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.