By Tony Reid
Herald & Review, Decatur, Ill.
DECATUR, Ill. — A released prisoner ended up getting a return trip to a Macon County Jail cell after police said he approached an off-duty corrections officer in a store parking lot and threatened him in front of his children.
A sworn affidavit from the Macon County Sheriff’s Office said the 36-year-old suspect had approached the officer’s vehicle around 8 p.m. Jan. 30 in the parking lot of the Walmart on East Maryland Street.
The affidavit said the 33-year-old officer had just left work and was still wearing his uniform. His wife, 29, had gone into the store to shop while the officer waited in the family pickup truck with his children, aged 9 and 6.
“While waiting for his wife, the (33-year-old officer) said the (suspect) approached his front passenger window,” said the affidavit, signed by Deputy Jennifer Harris.
“He started talking about a ‘confrontation’ that occurred on Jan. 29 located in the Macon County Jail that involved him being arrested and booked in as (the officer) was part of the prebooking process.
“(The suspect) then made threatening statements as he said if he was ‘goofy’ he would shoot (the officer) and if (the suspect) had a gun on his person at that time, he would’ve shot him. He also stated if ‘others’ were out, they would shoot him as well. (The officer) told him he needed to leave and the conversation was over before (the suspect) entered a dark colored sedan.”
Police found and arrested the suspect Feb. 19 and he is now facing charges of aggravated assault. He was held in the jail overnight and granted pretrial release the next day.
A check of jail records shows he had originally been booked into the jail on Jan. 29 on a charge of committing domestic battery causing bodily harm while having two prior convictions for the same offense.
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