A convicted felon staying in an RV park near Marengo was arrested after he allegedly brandished an illegally possessed gun during an altercation with two people.
Jason Barker, 46, of Kinston, North Carolina, was charged with three counts of aggravated unlawful use of a firearm while having a previous conviction, felon in possession of a firearm, unlawful possession of a firearm while ineligible and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
A criminal complaint filed in McHenry County Circuit Court alleges Barker was in possession of a handgun that was loaded and immediately accessible around 4:30 p.m. on January 31.
Barker is not allowed to possess the gun because he is a convicted felon out of North Carolina.
He also does not have a Firearm Owner’s Identification card or a concealed carry license, the complaint said.
The gun, a Springfield Armory Echelon 9mm handgun, was recovered by the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office, which arrested Barker.
The complaint said Barker committed aggravated assault by possessing the gun, leading to a victim being placed in fear of being harmed.
The incident happened at Lehman’s Lakeside RV Resort, 19609 Riley Harmony Road in unincorporated Marengo.
McHenry County Assistant State’s Attorney Zachariah Sitkiewicz said Barker got into an argument with a couple over a propane tank, the Northwest Herald reported.
Sitkiewicz said Barker confronted the two aggressively and the male victim saw Barker fumble with the gun in his waistband.
Court documents said Barker removed the gun from his waistband in response to the verbal altercation.
The gun’s magazine fell into the snow and the victim grabbed the gun from Barker, leading to a physical struggle, Sitkiewicz said.
Barker was transported to the McHenry County Jail and the McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office filed a petition to detain him pending trial, arguing he poses a danger to the community.
McHenry County Judge Cynthia Lamb denied the request and allowed Barker to be released on pre-trial conditions.
He was ordered not to possess firearms, not to have contact with any of the parties involved in the incident and not leave the state without court permission.
Barker was also placed on pre-trial supervision with GPS monitoring and ordered to stay a minimum of two miles away from Lehman’s Lakeside RV Resort.
He is scheduled to appear in court again on March 3 for a status of preliminary hearing.