A man allegedly battered two employees at a grocery store in Woodstock and then attacked responding officers, shoving them to the ground and punching them, Friday morning.
Tavon A. Jones, 29, of Woodstock, was charged with three counts of aggravated battery to a peace officer, two counts of aggravated battery in a public place, resisting a peace officer, criminal trespass to land and assault.
A criminal complaint filed in McHenry County Circuit Court alleges Jones battered two employees at Jewel-Osco, 145 South Eastwood Drive in Woodstock, around 9:30 a.m. Friday.
Jones allegedly grabbed the store’s assistant manager and reached into his pockets looking for his phones while the employee was near the registers inside the store, according to the complaint.
The complaint said a loss prevention officer was pushed backward by Jones after the officer tried to get Jones off of the assistant store manager. He also allegedly tried to punch the loss prevention officer.
The Woodstock Police Department responded and officers attempted to arrest Jones but he began resisting arrest.
The complaint said Jones punched, fought and ran from officers to avoid arrest.
Jones punched, grabbed and threw an officer to the floor, the complaint said.
Jones also allegedly punched, grabbed and threw a police sergeant to the floor.
The complaint said Jones spat in the face of another officer after he had been handcuffed.
Jones was previously issued a citation for criminal trespass on December 2. The complaint said Jones has “repeatedly stated that he will continue to return to the property.”
The charges against Jones are not detainable based on threat to the community under the Illinois SAFE-T Act but prosecutors can still seek detention based on willful flight risk since the charges are at least Class 3 felonies.
The McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office filed a petition to detain Jones and argued he was a willful flight risk.
McHenry County Judge Mary Nader denied the petition on Saturday and released Jones pending trial.
Nader ordered Jones not to go to any Jewel-Osco store in McHenry County, not to possess firearms and not to leave the state without court permission.
Jones is scheduled to appear in court again on January 9 for a status of preliminary hearing.