• 2025-10-30 21:50:12
• Gun Violence

JOLIET, IL — Although the Will County Sheriff's Office announced that 20-year-old Tyshawn Harris was arrested for attempted murder, alleging he tried to shoot a sheriff's deputy near Joliet's Nowell Park, the Will County State's Attorney's Office decided that attempted murder charges were not warranted. At Thursday's hearing in Courtroom 202 of Will County Associate Judge Derek Ewanic, Harris learned he's being charged with 10 crimes, and his most serious crime is armed violence.

According to the complaint, Harris had a semi-automatic ABC Rifle Company, Model ABC-15 pistol, at the same time he was in a stolen car, an Infiniti Q50, belonging to a Joliet crime victim. His other charges include aggravated possession of a stolen vehicle, possession of a stolen vehicle, several counts of aggravated unlawful possession of a weapon, fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer, reckless conduct and driving while license suspended.

His last two charges are obstructing a police officer and illegal possession of ammunition without a valid FOID card.

About 10 uniformed members of the Will County Sheriff's Office attended Thursday afternoon's hearing for Harris, and they sat back in the gallery to hear the prosecution's evidence.

Will County prosecutor Tricia McKenna asked Judge Ewanic to keep Harris detained under the SAFE-T-Act. She said Harris jumped from the stolen car he was driving around 12:30 a.m. Wednesday to avoid being stopped by a pursuing Will County Sheriff's deputy trying to pull him over. According to McKenna, Harris ran from the stolen car, holding his semi-automatic pistol, and the gun discharged twice into the ground along South Chicago Street.

She said that Harris tried to hide in the woods at the sprawling Nowell Park across the street near Doris Avenue and Route 53 and he was ultimately captured hiding near the creek, and his gun was found in the same area, which contained one live bullet in the chamber and 28 live rounds remaining in the magazine.

Harris also wore a dark mask covering his entire face, she noted.

As McKenna informed Judge Ewanic that Harris is affiliated with Joliet's Blitz Gang, Harris began to shake his head in disagreement. After being arrested, Harris claimed that if the gun discharged, it was an accident, and "that he had no intention to shoot at anything," McKenna announced.

Harris claimed in his interview with Will County Sheriff's detectives "that he didn't know" the car he was driving late Tuesday night was stolen, suggesting that "someone gave him the car," McKenna told the judge.

McKenna revealed how Harris disregarded various traffic signals on the Route 53/South Chicago Street as he was fleeing the sheriff's deputy, putting other motorists lives in danger.

"He left the car in drive when he jumped out of the vehicle. He's a danger to the community as a whole," McKenna argued.

Harris' public defender Ryan Kosztya asked Judge Ewanic to release his client from the Will County Jail, pointing out how Harris had a "cute little 1-year-old boy" who just had been seated in Courtroom 202, along with the child's mother. Judge Ewanic instructed the mother to remove the child shortly after Harris' proceedings began because the child was making too much noise, becoming a distraction.

The public defender suggested that Harris would wear an ankle monitor or remain under home confinement, upon being released from the jail. The lawyer said his client actually lives with family members in Ottawa.

Court documents and jail logs list Harris as residing in the 1300 block of Joliet's Pico Court.

At the time of Wednesday's arrest, Harris held two jobs, a full-time job as a security officer in Minooka at Allied Universal and a part-time job three days a week in Channahon at the Amazon warehouse, his lawyer maintained. A jacket reading "Security" was recovered by Will County Sheriff's deputies after their foot chase led into the Nowell Park woods, McKenna revealed.

Harris is a Joliet West High School dropout, who quit school during his junior year. He has been enrolled in a GED program at Joliet Junior College, his public defender noted.

In 2024, Harris faced a staggering 22 criminal charges of aggravated domestic battery, aggravated battery and domestic battery from the Will County State's Attorney's Office. But in February of this year, all of his charges were dismissed. "Defendant is to have his electronic monitor removed immediately. So ordered," a judge's order stated.

According to the criminal complaints, Harris was accused of kicking the future mother of his child about the body, knowing her to be pregnant, and also striking her in the head.

Then, on May 15, 2004, Harris' victim sent the Will County judicial system a two-paged typed letter, indicating she was 18 and from Joliet. She titled her document the "Affidavit of Truth concerning case number 2023CF2156 and 2024CF749."

"I am a new mother, a loving daughter ... I am writing this on Tyshawn Harris' behalf. I do not see him as no threat nor danger to me or our son and would love for him to be able to be around and provide for his family, me and his son, which is also his first child. On Nov. 4, 2023, around 10:24 a.m. JPD was called to Comfort Inn Joliet west I-80 after me and my boyfriend, Tyshawn Harris, got into an argument which led to a physical altercation.

"I had gotten a hold of Tyshawn's phone and saw him talking to multiple women while I was carrying his baby, which of course, hurt my feelings and I refused to give him his phone back ... During this, I hit the desk chair which caused my nose to bleed, and other things were also hit as we tussled over the phone ... I can honestly say I was very emotional ... On Feb. 23, 2024, the police were also called to 111 Yarrow Court at 8:09 p.m. after another altercation where Tyshawn had received a phone call that appeared on radio ... This led to me trying to force him to get out by pushing him, screaming and using my feet to push his body out of my vehicle.

"During all of this, I did leave with a bruise on my arm ... both altercations where police were involved I can say I let my emotions get the best of me. I jumped to conclusions to respond to an emotional situation ... I once again do not see Tyshawn Harris as a threat to me nor our child and he deserves to be in our child's life and a family at that. I want a family and relationship with Tyshawn Harris, and my son deserves that also. I hate my emotions, stress and life problems got between that."

Back in Courtroom 202, Judge Ewanic spent several minutes tearing the public defender's arguments to shreds, making several references to Harris' criminal charges from 2023 and 2024 in which Harris, after being released from the jail while still awaiting trial, committed numerous violations of the terms of his pretrial release.

Judge Ewanic informed everyone Harris is a danger to the community and that he will remain incarcerated in the Will County Jail in connection with Thursday's new set of 10 criminal charges, notably the serious offense of armed violence.