Bullets Fly, 2 Arrested Outside East Side Bar In Joliet

JOLIET, IL - Bullets were flying over the weekend inside a bar on Joliet's east side, resulting in criminal charges against two men, Mychael Thomas and Jerry Bowman, the Will County Sheriff's Department announced. Gunshots were fired inside the Terrace Inn Lounge, 630 Gardner St. Thomas has been charged with aggravated discharge of a firearm and criminal damage to property. His co-defendant, was charged with aggravated assault. No one was shot or injured during the incident, sheriff's officials say.

Around 1 a.m. Sunday, police were notified of a shots-fired incident, the Will County Sheriff's Department said. Squad cars from the Joliet Police Department got to the bar first.

According to the sheriff's department, officers saw two men standing in the parking lot of the Terrace Inn Lounge, holding a man down at gunpoint. The man being detained was Thomas, and the two men holding him down were the bar's owner and his security guard, sheriff's police say.

"During the course of the investigation it was discovered that while a family get-together was going on inside, a verbal argument began. Thomas then pulled a weapon out and shot three to four rounds inside the bar," Will County Sheriff's officials determined.

After firing several errant bullets inside the bar, Thomas tried to run outside, police say. He did not get far. The owner and his security guard went after him in hopes of detaining him until the police arrived.

Still, Thomas turned toward the men and fired one gunshot but missed, the sheriff's office said.

"Thomas then turned to run and tripped, falling to the ground just outside the bar entrance. The men then held Thomas at gunpoint until deputies arrived," Will County's incident report indicates.

Meanwhile, Bowman "was quickly exiting the parking lot in his vehicle and nearly struck (the bar owner) causing the owner to jump out of the way," the police said.

As the Joliet Police officers converged on the bar, they saw a car trying to flee the Terrance Inn. Officers were able to stop the car and arrest the driver, Jerry Bowman, reports indicate.

Will County jail logs indicate Thomas, 29, lives in the 1000 block of Joliet's Lois Place. Bowman, lives in Chicago. Thomas is slated to have a bail hearing Monday afternoon at the Will County Courthouse.

Jail logs indicate that Bowman was freed on Sunday morning from the Will County on a $1,500 personal recognizance bond.

Main image of Terrace Inn Lounge via Google Maps