Man charged with murder of Oak Park police officer makes first court appearance

CHICAGO (CBS) – The man was charged Shooting and killing of Oak Park police Detective Allan Reddins made his first court appearance Thursday when a judge ordered him held in jail while he awaits trial.

Jerell Thomas, 37, is being held on charges of first-degree murder, attempted murder of a peace officer, possession of a stolen firearm and unlawful use of a weapon by a felon.

He was arrested immediately after the shooting but did not appear in court for the first time until Thursday because he had been hospitalized after being shot by Reddin’s colleagues.

During Thomas’ court appearance, Cook County prosecutors revealed new details about what they believe Thomas did leading up to the shooting and why it should never have happened. Reddins worked only on the streets that day – the Friday after Thanksgiving – because the Oak Park Police Department was short-staffed.

Dozens of officers and other first responders filled a basement courtroom in Maywood — lining the walls and wrapping themselves behind court workers — as Thomas appeared in court.

Judge Elizabeth Ciaccia-Lezza explained the Reddins’ support, saying, “They may not be blood relatives, but they are family.”

Thomas, 37, was brought to court in a wheelchair, with a bandage on his head and only a sock on his right foot, after he was shot in the leg by emergency services.

Prosecutors laid out their case – starting with the first call about an armed person leaving the Chase Bank on Lake Street.

“The perpetrator stood around for at least 15 minutes. He was approached by the Chase branch manager, who believed the perpetrator was acting strangely. A video shows the perpetrator pulling a gun out of his waistband and walking out. said Cook County Assistant Prosecutor Eugene Wood.

Prosecutors said Reddins and a responding sergeant found Thomas several blocks away, but the situation quickly escalated.

“Police body-worn camera video showed the perpetrator reaching for the inside of his open jacket. Sergeant MR and Detective Allan Reddins told the defendant to keep his hands up and not reach in,” Wood said. “The body-worn camera captured the sound of three gunshots, then a pause of about a second, then three more shots.”

Prosecutors said Thomas shouldn’t have had a gun because of his criminal record, which included assaulting a police officer; However, he explained that he stole it from his sister’s house earlier in the week, a theft that she reported to Chicago police.

“The perpetrator and the perpetrator’s father got into an argument that turned physical. “The perpetrator went into his sister’s bedroom, unloaded her gun safe, took a loaded .40 caliber handgun and left the apartment,” Wood said.

Meanwhile, a candlelight vigil for Reddins is planned for Friday at 5:30 p.m. outside Oak Park Village Hall. His funeral is scheduled for next week.