Assault Incident Involving Repeat Offender

A man with a lengthy criminal history, reportedly arrested over a dozen times this year, is facing accusations of assaulting a female doctor in an elevator at a Chicago hospital.

Prosecutors have alleged that Sean Popps, 39, followed a 42-year-old cardiologist into an elevator in the parking lot of Northwestern Memorial Hospital’s Streeterville campus shortly after 1:30 p.m. on November 2. After she stumbled backward and raised her hands to shield her face, he apparently began hitting her repeatedly in the head.

Interestingly, it’s noted that Popps had also been arrested seven times in 2024, mainly in incidents occurring near or around hospital locations.

A police report from Chicago indicated that the victim sustained various bruises, abrasions, and hematomas on her face, head, arms, and hands. Sources confirmed she had no prior encounters with Popps, and the assault was entirely unprovoked.

According to reports, hospital security quickly identified Popps from surveillance footage, revealing he had been involved in around 30 previous incidents at the same hospital. One officer mentioned that they had dealt with this individual almost twice daily for the last 19 months.

At the time of the assault, Popps was out on pretrial release for breaking into a home in Streeterville and allegedly attempting to flee from police.

Police records show Popps has been arrested repeatedly this year, nearly all incidents related to trespassing or property damage at or near hospitals. His arrest history stretches back further, with several incidents noted in previous years, including two arrests at the hospital in both 2020 and 2021, and additional arrests in 2022 and 2023.

Following the incident, Judge Anthony Calabrese ordered that Popps be held in custody on the assault charge in a public place. He is scheduled to appear in court on December 30, with no bail set.