Chicago — Prosecutors said a man threatened a Chicago police officer with a rock before disarming the cop and firing two shots from the officer’s weapon in Lincoln Park on Friday evening. Thomas Tucker, 29, was ordered held in lieu of a $75,000 bail payment by Cook County Judge Charles Beach on Sunday afternoon.
During Tucker’s bond hearing, prosecutors said two people who live in the 2100 block of North Cleveland heard a noise outside their home and reviewed surveillance cameras. They saw him standing in a gangway, talking to himself, and possibly urinating around 9:04 p.m.
A 50-year-old Chicago police officer working alone met with the residents and entered the gangway to move Tucker along.
But Tucker assumed a “crouching position” and maintained that position as he walked toward the cop at an “accelerated pace,” an assistant state’s attorney told the court. Tucker allegedly raised a rock over his head while talking about the officer’s gun.
The cop backed out of the gangway as Tucker swung the rock at him, disregarding the officer’s commands to stay back.
Tucker and the cop became engaged in a physical altercation on the sidewalk, during which Tucker unholstered the officer’s weapon, bit the officer, and fired two rounds as the officer struggled to control the weapon, prosecutors said.
After the cop regained control of his firearm, Tucker ran from the scene. Other witnesses directed backup officers to a nearby yard, where Tucker allegedly tried to move toward another officer’s gun before being restrained.
Prosecutors charged him with aggravated battery of a peace officer, disarming a peace officer, aggravated assault of a peace officer, reckless obstruction of a peace officer, and reckless discharge of a firearm.
Tucker did not attend Sunday’s bail hearing because he was hospitalized for a mental evaluation. With few exceptions, state law prohibits judges from holding defendants without bail if the defendant is not physically present. Another judge will consider the state’s no-bail request after Tucker is discharged.
An assistant public defender said Tucker, who is homeless, has lived in Chicago for about two years. He has no felony conviction, prosecutors said.
On January 28, Chicago police arrested Tucker after he went behind an Uptown convenience store counter and pushed the cashier’s face with his hand, according to court records. He pleaded guilty on February 6 and received a sentence of 10 days time served.