Inmate Accused Of Tossing Loaded Gun Into Cook Co. Jail Trash

CHICAGO, IL — An inmate is accused of dumping a loaded handgun into a trash can at the Cook County Jail over the weekend in an area where new prisoners are dropped off, according to the Cook County Sheriff's Office. Quentin Jones, 25, is charged with possession of a firearm in a penal institution, a class X felony, in connection with the incident, the sheriff's office stated in a release. His bail hearing for the charge is scheduled for Thursday.

According to the sheriff's office, Jones allegedly threw the loaded Kel-Tec .32-caliber handgun into a trash can in the jail's receiving area at around 9:20 a.m. Sunday, Aug. 13. Security camera video showing Jones allegedly discarding the gun was released by the sheriff's office Thursday.

Jail staff discovered the firearm Tuesday morning while emptying the garbage in the facility, the sheriff's office said. That forced a lockdown while corrections officers searched the jail, but it didn't stop inmates from making court apperances. The jail lockdown was lifted Thursday. (Get Patch real-time email alerts for the latest news for Chicago — or your neighborhood. And iPhone users: Check out Patch's new app.)

Jones was at the jail Sunday to be booked on domestic battery and criminal damage to property charges, the sheriff's office said.

Quentin Jones (Photo via Cook County Sheriff's Office)

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