An Aurora man is headed to prison for shooting an acquaintance in the face during a
dispute and then fleeing police as they sought to investigate the incident. Kane County Circuit Judge John A. Barsanti on Friday, March 16, 2017, sentenced 56-year-old John W. Sperry to 7 years’ imprisonment in the Illinois Department of Corrections.
A Kane County jury on Jan. 11, 2018, convicted Sperry of aggravated battery with a firearm, Class X felony, and two counts of aggravated fleeing and eluding a police
officer, Class 4 felony.
Kane County Assistant State’s Attorneys Greg Sams and Chris Geocaris presented evidence that the afternoon of March 4, 2017, Sperry drove to the victim’s house in the 300 block of Jackson Street, Aurora. At about 4:40 p.m. Sperry saw the victim in the driveway. The victim walked to the passenger side of Sperry’s 1988 Cadillac Brougham, and the men began to argue. Sperry then pulled out a .38 caliber handgun and fired a single shot at the victim. The shot struck the victim in the cheek and exited from the back of his head. Sperry immediately drove away from the scene.
Police spotted him in his car a short time later about two miles away in the vicinity of Ohio and Grove streets and signaled for him to stop. Sperry refused and led police on a 14-minute chase through Aurora’s east and northeast sides, ignoring multiple traffic-control devices and at times exceeding 70 mph. Police took Sperry into custody after his car struck a utility pole at Claim Street and Lincoln Avenue. The victim continues to recover from his injury.
The sentence is 6 years for the aggravated battery with a firearm offense and 1 year
for the aggravated fleeing and eluding offense.
According to Illinois law, Sperry must serve at least 85 percent of the 6-year sentence
and is eligible for day-for-day credit on the 1-year sentence. He receives credit for 377 days served in the Kane County jail.
