After Judge John Lyke ordered Timothy Thomas held without bail Friday for allegedly shooting at a police officer in Rogers Park, Thomas made a counteroffer.
“I need to be home. My baby mama has nobody to help her watch her kids,” Thomas, an eight-time convicted felon, pitched after his attorney urged him not to speak in court. “I was just wondering if I could get electronic monitoring, GPS.”
Thomas’ proposal wasn’t out of the realm of possibilities in Cook County, where people accused of full-blown murder have been released on bond even after they were charged with illegally carrying a gun while awaiting trial for allegedly killing someone.
But Lyke was not sold.
“You said give you electronic monitoring,” Lyke responded. “We’ve seen, in fact, today, I had a case. A person had electronic monitoring. They was found in the state of Wisconsin … We get people all the time who cut off their bracelets, and they’re gone.”
“Other family members will have to step up to the plate,” Lyke concluded as he wished Thomas good luck.
Earlier in Friday’s bond hearing, Assistant State’s Attorney Kevin Deboni told Lyke that Thomas, 31, ran a stop sign while making a turn at Jonquil Terrace and Bosworth around 9:26 p.m. Tuesday. A CPD patrol car just happened to be driving up Bosworth and saw it happen.
The cops, driving an unmarked car in full uniform, activated their blue lights and pulled Thomas over. He got out and began walking toward the officers’ car, disregarding their orders to get back into his vehicle, Deboni said.
Thomas allegedly ran after slamming the squad car’s passenger door on the leg of an officer who was getting out. The cop chased him.
As they turned a corner, Thomas pulled out a gun and fired one shot toward the officer, Deboni said. The bullet struck the window of a home on the 7600 block of North Bosworth, but no injuries were reported.
Thomas fell on the sidewalk and tossed the gun into the street before getting up and running into an alley, Deboni said. Cops allegedly found him hiding on the third floor of a rear porch.
Officers found a handgun near a car on the 1500 block of West Jonquil Terrace. Lab tests determined that the shell casing from the fired shot was expended by the recovered firearm, Deboni said. A surveillance camera also captured the shooting.
Deboni said Thomas was convicted of three narcotics felonies in 2018, a gun charge in 2017, aggravated DUI in 2013, another narcotics case in 2010, attempted robbery in 2009, and yet another narcotics case in 2008.
Thomas’s defense attorney said he is married and lives with his wife, who is pregnant. His two children, ages four years and five months, also live with him, she said.
Prosecutors charged Thomas with attempted first-degree murder of a police officer, aggravated battery of a police officer, and Class X armed habitual criminal. He is also charged with driving on a revoked license and was cited for various traffic violations. He is due in court again on October 12.
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