A man who’s been convicted seven times of felony shoplifting is now facing robbery charges after he allegedly posed as a Chicago cop and threatened to shoot two loss prevention agents who tried to stop him from stealing $215 worth of booze from a Target store in the Loop.
Prosecutors charged Kenneth Hall, 54, with two counts of aggravated robbery and false impersonation of police during a bond hearing Thursday.
Around 2:15 p.m. Wednesday, a Target security guard intercepted Hall as he tried to leave the store at 1 South State with stolen alcohol inside two Target bags, according to a CPD report.
Hall pulled down his sweatshirt to reveal a sweater bearing a CPD insignia and told the security agent that one of his “officers” paid for the booze, prosecutors said. Hall, who allegedly didn’t have a receipt, then turned away and tried to walk out a different door.
When another Target employee confronted him at the second exit, Hall put his hand in his sweatshirt, indicated that he had a gun, and threatened to shoot the security guard, prosecutors said. The first loss prevention agent arrived as that was happening and both guards backed away thinking that Hall had a gun, according to the state.
The confrontations were allegedly captured on store surveillance video.
Police found Hall at the Roosevelt Red Line station with target bags containing liquor nearby, according to CPD and prosecutors. A Chicago Police Department uniform shirt was also found discarded in the area, police said.
Hall allegedly told cops that he got the insignia and sweater from either a thrift store or his grandfather. He has never been a police officer.
Judge Susana Ortiz set his bail at $5,000. He is required to go onto electronic monitoring after he posts the $500 deposit required for his release from jail.