Crime & Safety

DUI Driver Claims To Have Coronavirus, Attacks Cop: Niles Police

Police said 52-year-old coughed on officers trying to perform sobriety tests and claimed to have "the corona bacteria."

Grzegorz T. Kuprowski, 52, of Niles, is accused of coughing on a police officer while claiming that he was infected with the new coronavirus.
Grzegorz T. Kuprowski, 52, of Niles, is accused of coughing on a police officer while claiming that he was infected with the new coronavirus. (Niles PD)

NILES, IL — A Niles man faces felony charges after police said he charged at officers while coughing on them and shouting, "Now you have the Corona!"

Police encountered the man around 12:15 a.m. on March 14 after getting a 911 call that a man had repeatedly exited an idling SUV in the 7600 block of Grennan Place to urinate.

Grzegorz Kuprowski, 52, of the 8300 block of Milwaukee Avenue, was in the driver's seat, and a partially clothed women was lying unconscious on the floorboard, police reported.

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Niles Fire Department paramedics took the woman to a nearby hospital due to her level of intoxication, according to Niles Police Sgt. Tony Scipione.

Police said Kuprowski became angry during questioning. When officers began trying to administer sobriety tests, he reportedly began to cough on the officers.

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Officers reported he told them to "get away" because he had "corona bacteria."

After paramedics were called back to the scene on his behalf, Kuprowski lay on the ground, telling police he was tired and weak, according to police.

"As officers approached to see why Grzegorz was acting this way, he stood up swiftly and charged officers in an insulting and provoking nature yelling, 'Now you have the Corona, now you have the Corona!' while coughing on them," Scipione said.


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Kuprowski was arrested and taken to an area hospital. After his release, he was charged with aggravated battery to a police officer, aggravated driving under the influence of alcohol — a felony due to a previously revoked license, misdemeanor driving under the influence of alcohol, driving with a revoked license, possession of a revoked license, according to police.

Police also issued him an illegal possession of an open container of alcohol citation.

As of Tuesday, Kuprowski remained held without bail in Cook County Jail ahead of a court date scheduled for April 1, according to the Cook County Sheriff's Office. No attorney information was immediately available.


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