3 Jewel Employees Attacked By Liquor-Bottle Shoplifter: JPD

JOLIET, IL — Joliet police officers were kept extremely busy this week making multiple arrests at the Jewel grocery store at 1401 West Jefferson Street. One of the incidents turned violent as Joliet police say 31-year-old homeless resident Dennis Montgomery punched one of the Jewel employees in the face, and kicked another worker in the head, according to arrest logs.

Joliet police brought Montgomery downtown to the station and later released him from custody on a notice to appear for battery and criminal damage to property offenses. Montgomery has been arrested and incarcerated in the Will County Jail on three prior occasions this fall, once in September, another time in October and most recently on Nov. 6-7 after the Will County Sheriff's Office arrested him on charges of theft, resisting arrest and battery.

Montgomery's latest arrest happened Wednesday afternoon on Joliet's Jefferson Street.

According to Joliet police spokesman Dwayne English, the following events led to Montgomery's arrest:

• At 3:23 p.m., officers responded to Jewel for a disturbance inside.
• Police were told an employee spotted Montgomery concealing a bottle of liquor in his clothing. The female employee asked him to return the bottle to the shelf and Montgomery grew irate, at which time he bumped into her. A male employee tried to intervene, and Montgomery punched him in the face. At that point, police said, an additional male employee tried to intervene, and Montgomery kicked him in the head after the employee took him to the ground.
• The employees managed to detain Montgomery on the ground for Joliet police officers, who placed him into custody.
• The bottle of liquor was shattered during the incident.