Man Facing Felony Charges After Kicking Plainfield Cop: Police

PLAINFIELD, IL — Joseph Brown, a 24-year-old Yorkville resident, was arrested on March 30, after an incident in which he reportedly tried to enter the Liberty Tax office on 16310 S. Lincoln Highway after hours, police said. The Plainfield Police Department's Public Information Officer, Commander Anthony Novak, said that staff with the tax office called the police on him, and that when they arrived on the scene he was behind the wheel of a car, apparently inebriated.

"At about 10:15 in the evening, officers were dispatched to Liberty Tax... for a highly intoxicated male trying to make his way into the business," Novak said. "As the officers arrived on scene, they identified the vehicle and [Brown] sitting behind the driver's seat."

Novak said Brown failed a field sobriety test. Novak later added that the arresting officers found open liquor bottles in Brown's car, along with unmarked prescription pills in a clear plastic bag. Not a great start to any encounter with the police, but it only got worse.

Novak said he kicked a cop's legs.

According to Novak, Brown pulled away from the officers, whose names were not given, as they were making the arrest. That was enough to warrant a resisting arrest misdemeanor charge. A few moments later, Novak said, Brown kicked the officer in the legs.

For that, Brown was slapped with the felony charge of aggravated battery against a peace officer - a more severe charge than is levied against some individuals accused of domestic battery.

"Anytime there's a felony charge, we have to call the on-duty State's Attorney seeking felony approval," Novak said, "and in this case one was contacted and felony approval had been granted by the State's Attorney's Office."

Amid the coronavirus crisis, officials with the Will County Sheriff's Office previously told Patch that they are trying to limit the number of people brought into the county jail by not arresting low level or non-violent offenders. Instead, they are given I-Bonds, essentially a promise that they will appear in court on the arranged day on pain of steeper consequences.

Brown did not qualify for such crisis-induced leniency, and was charged with felonies. Police are still legally obligated to arrest those charged with felonies. Will County court documents show that the State's Attorney's Office even pushed to have Brown considered a flight risk, and the court agreed. His bail was set at $1,000 with an additional command that Brown not consume any drugs or alcohol until his next court date on April 21.

Will County inmate records show that Brown is no longer in the county sheriff's custody, having made bail. However, he still faces several felony and DUI-related misdemeanor charges. If found guilty on any of them, he could spend years in prison and face steep fines.

All charges against Brown are merely accusations and he is considered innocent until proven guilty.