Man Brings Rifle Into Family Bar: JPD

JOLIET, IL — After spending the past year free while awaiting multiple criminal trials in Will County, Joliet's Jerry Leon Patton III is back in Will County's Jail in connection with this week's incident at his family's west-side bar. Patton is accused of entering the TK's Deep End Bar at the corner of Cherry and McDonough streets with a stolen rifle, prompting the bartender to order everyone to flee the establishment, according to prosecutors.

The Will County State's Attorney's Office of Jim Glasgow has charged Patton, who is now 37 years old, with unlawful possession of a weapon by a felon, defacing the identification marks on a firearm and unlawful possession of a controlled substance.

After hearing the evidence surrounding Patton's most recent Joliet police arrest, Will County Judge Donald DeWilkins ordered that Patton remain incarcerated indefinitely at the Will County Jail pursuant to the SAFE-T-Act.

On Monday night, Joliet police were called to TK's Deep End for a bar disturbance. When officers arrived, Patton was the only person still inside the bar — and he had a rifle, plus several items in his hands, court record pointed out.

When the Joliet police ordered Patton to drop the items — 1.76 grams of cocaine, a firearm magazine and a .22 caliber Muzzlelite Bullpup Ruger 10 rifle — he complied, according to prosecutors.

The bartender told Joliet police that Patton "was acting irate and arguing with her, so she asked all the patrons to leave, closed the bar and left him there," prosecutors informed the judge.

Patton is the bar owner's son, the court documents point out.

"The defendant's mom was contacted and said he has been awake the past few nights and taking drugs due to a death in the family and 'acting schizophrenic,'" prosecutors indicated. "She didn't know where the gun came from."

The rifle had a defaced serial number.

"As stated above, the defendant is a convicted felon who is not permitted to carry any firearms," prosecutors notified the judge.

As for Patton's other criminal cases that have yet to go to trial, prosecutors said Patton has an aggravated battery charge for attacking a bar patron after the person tried to intervene when Patton was berating a female bartender and calling her homophobic slurs.

The victim suffered a broken jaw and teeth, requiring surgery.

In another 2022 case, Patton was at a different Joliet bar and punched a victim "who was playing slots, fracturing his face. Finally, the defendant is on bond (in a 2023 case) ... in which it is alleged that the defendant struck a victim and the victim's dog with a vehicle after becoming angry that his girlfriend engaged in a sex act with the victim. He also is alleged to have thrown a brick through the victim's windshield," this week's petition to deny pretrial release declared.

Will County Jail records indicate Patton now resides in the 0 to 100 block of South Hickory Street. He was booked into the jail at 4:10 a.m. on Tuesday.

Patton's most recent stint in the county jail ran from Dec. 30, 2022, until Jan. 31, 2023, under the now-abolished Illinois method of pretrial detention known as cash bail and bond.

Related Joliet Patch coverage of Jerry Patton:

Jerry Patton III No Longer In Will County's Jail

Man Who Beat Mark Tomac Tried To Run Over Dog in Crest Hill: PD

Another Joliet Bar Fight For Hickory Street Resident: JPD

City Tavern Fight: Man From Hickory St. Faces Felonies

Joliet Man Banned From St. Joe's ER: Court