Man At MorningStar Mission Tasered After Resisting Arrest: Joliet PD

JOLIET — After staying at St. Joe's Hospital undergoing a mental health evaluation last week, Joliet police have brought 27-year-old citizen Denzzel McCullum to the Will County Jail, where he's being charged with battery, endangering the life or health of a child and resisting a peace officer. McCullum also had outstanding arrest warrants from Will and DuPage counties.

During last week's arrest at the MorningStar Mission, Joliet police said they used a Taser in order to get McCullum to stop obstructing the police as they wanted to arrest him.

Joliet police spokesman Dwayne English said at 8:51 a.m. Feb. 11 at the MorningStar Missionon Washington Street, officers responded after McCullum had called, indicating he was at the shelter with his 4-month-old daughter and had nowhere to go.

Upon arrival, officers determined that the child’s mother had arrived to pick up the child, who was secured in a vehicle baby carrier, English said.

While speaking to McCullum, the officers determined he had arrest warrants from Will County and DuPage County for failing to appear in court on previous charges of drug paraphernalia and resisting a peace officer. But, according to English, when an officer tried to place McCullum into custody, he pushed past the officer and picked up the child in the baby carrier and sat in a chair.

McCullum refused to put the child down and submit to arrest, leading the officers to believe that he was using the child to stall his arrest, English said. An officer was able to safely take the child carrier from McCullum as other officers tried to place him into custody, according to police.

English said McCullum resisted the officers and a Taser was deployed before he was placed into custody. While in handcuffs, police said McCullum began to intentionally strike his head into the ground and onto the squad car.

The child was not harmed and was placed into the care of the mother. McCullum was brought to St. Joseph Medical Center by the Joliet Fire Department for an evaluation.

McCullum was released from the hospital on Feb. 17, processed at the Joliet Police Department and transferred to the Will County Adult Detention Facility.