Chicago Sun-Times
JOLIET, Ill. — A man was accused of grabbing a police officer’s pistol and firing it Monday inside a public library in downtown Joliet, officials said.
Rondale L. Ellis, 23, was charged with disarming a police officer, aggravated battery with a firearm, aggravated discharge of a firearm, aggravated resisting arrest, resisting arrest, obstructing justice and criminal damage to municipal property.
The alleged incident happened during a scuffle with police officers who were trying to arrest Ellis, of the 100 block of Hobbs Avenue, who reportedly has two outstanding warrants for domestic battery and one for narcotics offenses.
During the struggle, the holstered gun discharged one round that passed through the officer’s pant leg and struck the wall behind him.
“Lucky and amazing,” Deputy Chief Mike Trafton said of the shot missing the officer at point-blank range.
Trafton said police received an anonymous Crime Stoppers tip that Ellis had gone to the library.
At 1:50 p.m., a lieutenant, a sergeant and a veteran patrol officer arrived at the library, 150 N. Ottawa St., to find Ellis on the second floor.
''In the stairwell between the first and second floors, [Ellis] began to fight with the officers and got his hand on the lieutenant’s gun, put his fingers into the holster and pulled the trigger,’' Trafton said. ''The round put a hole through the thigh area of the lieutenant’s right pant leg and hit the ceramic tile on the wall directly behind him.’'
Trafton said no one else was in the stairwell at the time, but the library was crowded with patrons. All three officers suffered minor injuries before Ellis could be restrained, but they are expected to recover.
''After the suspect was handcuffed and placed in the back of a squad car, he kicked out the rear window and bent the frame,’' Trafton said.
Copyright 2009 Chicago Sun-Times