Remember the fiasco near Crystal Lake in October 2011, when a man was arrested, then escaped from a patrol car and was re-arrested the following morning?
James Henson was charged on October 19, 2011, by the McHenry County Sheriff's Department (MCSD) (Case No. 11CF1093) with a variety of crimes, and he was charged on October 20, 2011, by the Crystal Lake Police Department with several crimes. On February 1, 2013, Judge Graham accepted a negotiated plea, and Henson was sentenced to two years in the Illinois Department of Corrections and fined $508.30, apparently including costs.
But it's not over 'til it's over.
On May 14 Henson filed a motion, and a Special Public Defender was appointed. Court dates followed on May 21 and May 29, and the next court date is June 5 for status on a trial date. A trial? I thought it was over on February 1 with his negotiated plea. Maybe not.
You may recall that Henson was arrested, possibly by an off-duty corrections officer (CO) (and former deputy), who has since left the Sheriff's Department. There was a rumor at the time that Henson was challenged at gunpoint, but COs are not commissioned law enforcement officers and don't have general arrest powers. I've always wondered whether the CO was actually a civilian at the time and why the Sheriff's Department apparently did not take action for the possible mis-use of a firearm.
While Henson was being transported to the jail, he kicked out a rear-door window of the squad car and escaped from the vehicle while it was stopped. I've always wondered how a prisoner, whose hands are supposed to be cuffed behind him, could get out of a seatbelt in the back seat of a patrol car and kick his way out. And why the deputy driver didn't prevent the escape.
So, what happened in court on February 1, 2013?
Three Crystal Lake PD charges were nolle prossed:
Burglary, Class 2 Felony
Criminal Trespass to Land
Damage to Property < $300
Five MCSD charges were nolle prossed:
Burglary - Class 2 Felony
Possession of Burglary Tools - Class 4 Felony
Damage to Property ($300-10,000) - Class 4 Felony
Felony escape from a police officer - Class 2 Felony
Theft < $500 - Class A Misdemeanor
And the one (1) conviction?
Criminal damage to government property (< $500) - Class 4 Felony
Plea-bargaining at its best; right?
Which leaves me to wonder whether Henson was only trespassing on the property where he was found or whether he was there to burglarize the property (what burglary tools did he have?).
How did the Sheriff's Department deal with the deputy who apparently failed to act to prevent Henson's escape?
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2 comments:
Gus, you would be amazed at how or what some people can do while handcuffed. But I don't undertand how or why the deputy didn't't catch him.
Many deputies would stop screaming and get out of the patrol car, as the first steps to catching an escapee.
If Henson was dancing around the patrol car and taunting the deputy, maybe she should have used the pepper spray or the stun gun.
Do deputies carry that equipment? Are they trained how to use it?
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