
A North Chicago man attempted to escape being taken into custody on Monday by running out of a Lake County courtroom in Waukegan before being captured by officers as he nearly exited the courthouse.
Allen V. Jefferson, 24, of North Chicago, appeared in Courtroom T-712 at the Lake County Courthouse in Waukegan on Monday morning.
Jefferson, who was on pre-trial release, appeared for hearings on four separate criminal cases against him, court records show.
Those cases involve charges of multiple counts of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon and three separate criminal damage to property charges.
Lake County Assistant State’s Attorney Elizabeth Cannon said Lake County Judge Mark Levitt ordered Jefferson to be tested for illegal substances during the status of a petition to revoke hearing.
Jefferson attempted to defraud the urinalysis test and was brought back to Courtroom T-712, Cannon said.
Levitt ordered Jefferson to be taken into the custody of the Lake County Jail.
Cannon said Jefferson was in the custody of multiple deputies in the courtroom while awaiting for jail staff to come get the man.
Jefferson fled from the courtroom and the court security officer assigned to the courtroom attempted to stop him, according to Lake County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Chief Christopher Covelli.
Covelli said Jefferson defeated the officer’s efforts and made it to the stairwell where he jumped down each flight of stairs — clearing the stairs.
The court security officer called out the situation on the radio.
Multiple deputies and court security officers responded to the radio call.
Covelli said Jefferson made it quickly down the stairwell to the first floor of the Criminal Court Tower.
One of the Court Emergency Response Team (CERT) deputies was able to apprehend Jefferson and take him into custody as he attempted to run toward an exit door.
A Fox Lake police officer and a Round Lake Park police officer both saw the commotion and offered their assistance as well.
Covelli said Jefferson was given an opportunity to catch his breath before he was walked back to Courtroom T-712 where he was turned over to corrections officers and remanded to the jail.
No injuries were reported to any Lake County Sheriff’s Office staff or Jefferson during the incident.
The Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office charged Jefferson with escape by a convicted felon, a Class 2 felony, and filed a petition to detain him pending trial as well as petitions to revoke his release in his other cases.
Jefferson appeared in First Appearance Court on Tuesday morning where he was ordered held until the detention hearing, which was set for Wednesday afternoon.