Braidwood 21-Year-Old Sucker Punches Police Officer: Chief

BRAIDWOOD, IL —A 21-year-old Braidwood man faces four criminal charges following Wednesday's early morning arrest by Braidwood police. Braidwood police chief Todd Lyons told Patch that James Rowland sucker punched one of the officers within moments of the officer making contact with Rowland at his residence in the 300 block of East Main Street.

Lyons said that Braidwood responded to a 911 call at the residence around 12:40 a.m. Rowland had tried to choke one of his female relatives and threw the woman to the floor, according to police.

Other officers responded to the call to help arrest Rowland after he attacked the Braidwood officer, Lyons said. Initially, Rowland was put into a Braidwood police car, but he was trying to kick out the window, so officers removed him, Lyons said. A Wilmington police car that he has steel bars and a cage was used to bring Rowland to the Will County Jail, where he was booked into the Will County Jail early Wednesday morning.

The officer and the female victim refused medical treatment, police said.

Rowland was charged with aggravated domestic battery involving strangulation, aggravated battery to a police officer and two counts of domestic battery.