Willowbrook Boy Shoots Friend And Punches Cop: Police

WILLOWBROOK, IL — A Willowbrook boy is accused of shooting a friend in the chest while showing him a gun and then later punching a police officer who was investigating the shooting, authorities said Tuesday.

On Monday morning, officers were called to an apartment in Willowbrook for a gunshot victim. They found the victim suffering from a gunshot wound to the chest. The victim was taken to a local hospital for treatment and is expected to recover, according to a news release from the DuPage County State's Attorney's Office.

It is alleged that while the Willowbrook youth was handling the gun, his mother attempted to disarm him at which time the gun discharged, striking the victim in the chest, the release said. When the victim was about to be taken to the hospital, the Willowbrook youth punched a sheriff’s deputy in the face and placed another sheriff’s deputy in a chokehold from behind and attempted to steal his firearm, authorities said.

“It is alleged that the defendant’s recklessness endangered his friend’s life,” State's Attorney Robert Berlin said in the news release. “Additionally, the allegations that the defendant then physically attacked a deputy at the scene and tried to disarm another deputy I find particularly troubling. This type of behavior will not be tolerated, and anyone accused of such behavior will quickly find themselves facing serious felony charges."

Sheriff James Mendrick said he was disheartened that anyone would react that way to an officer trying to help.

“I would like to express my appreciation for the professionalism demonstrated by my deputies during this horribly volatile incident," Mendrick said in the release.

The youth was charged with reckless discharge of a firearm, attempted disarming a police officer and two counts of aggravated battery to a police officer. All are felonies.