A 37-year-old Chicago man has been charged with first-degree murder for the fatal Friday morning shooting of an Oak Park police detective, according to local authorities.
On Saturday, the Cook County state’s attorney’s office charged North Lawndale resident Jerell Thomas with the murder of Detective Allan Reddins, who was killed in the line of duty in the near west suburb.
Reddins, who has worked with the Oak Park Police Department since 2019, was shot while responding to a call regarding an armed offender seen leaving a bank in the 1000 block of Lake Street, according to police.
As Reddins and other officers began to approach Thomas, he refused to follow their commands and opened fire, shooting Reddins in his left side, according to investigators. Reddins was transported to Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood, where he died of his injuries.
Court records reveal a history of violence between Thomas and police officers.
Two years ago, he pled guilty to aggravated battery of a police officer for allegedly punching a Chicago police officer in the face and resisting his arrest in 2019, according to court records.
In 2015, Thomas faced aggravated battery to a police officer charges after allegedly resisting arrest and struggling with officers as they attempted to cuff him.
Thomas also had several arrests for domestic battery. In 2013, he pleaded guilty to domestic battery, but his conditional discharge was terminated “unsatisfactorily,” the records showed.
Thomas was shot in the leg during the Friday confrontation and is currently receiving treatment at Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood for his non-life-threatening injury, according to authorities.
The date and time of his detention hearing had not yet been determined due to his hospitalization, Oak Park authorities said.
In addition to first-degree murder, Thomas also faces charges of attempted murder of a peace officer, possession of a stolen firearm and unlawful use of a weapon by a felon.
Reddins was the first Oak Park police officer to be shot in the line of duty in over 85 years, according to authorities.
