$20M Bail In Shooting Of Will County Sheriff's Deputies

JOLIET, IL - Will County Judge Art Smigielski set bail at $20 million for Kevin Waddell and codefendant Steven Johnson after prosecutors say that Waddell shot Will County Sheriff's Sergeant Joel Swanson in the side and one of the bullets grazed the arm of sheriff's deputy Brandon Bailey during a drug raid at 209 South Richards Street around 8:30 p.m. Tuesday. The sergeant was wearing a ballistic vest, according to prosecutors.

The two Will County Sheriff's deputies were members of Sheriff Mike Kelley's gang suppression unit, police said. The sergeant who was shot in the vest has 15 years experience in the department and the other deputy whose arm was grazed has 11 years of experience, the sheriff said.

“I cannot adequately express how grateful I am that these two men are going to be OK. They both are extremely lucky. Both gunshots were within an inch from being extremely serious or even fatal," Will County Sheriff Mike Kelley said in a press release issued late Wednesday afternoon.

Around 1:45 p.m., the two co-defendants from Joliet appeared over a video feed from the Will County Jail for their initial court hearing. Will County State's Attorney James Glasgow filed a total of 20 felony charges against the pair; most of the charges were against Waddell, who prosecutors say was the gunman.

Waddell, 42, faces two counts of attempted first-degree murder. Those charges carry a prison term of 20 to 80 years, if convicted. Waddell and Johnson, 61, both live at the same apartment together, a two-bedroom unit, Assistant Will County State's Attorney Peter Wilkes told the judge.

Wilkes is the chief of the narcotics and gang prosecutions.

According to the prosecutor, the incident began unfolding at around 8:30 p.m. Tuesday.

Officers from the Will County Sheriff's Department and Joliet's Police Department had showed up to conduct a drug raid at 209 South Richards Street. The officers went to the back door, knocked loudly and announced their presence.

Waddell and Johnson were both the targets of the drug raid, Wilkes told the judge.

Moments after the police officers announced themselves, nobody inside of the apartment opened the door. The police used a battering ram to bust the door open. At that moment, the sergeant was struck by the gunfire. Thankfully he was wearing a bullet-proof vest and "that vest took the brunt of the blows," Wilkes told the courtroom.

Meanwhile, the other sheriff's deputy was grazed on his arm by one of the bullets.

He, too, was taken by ambulance to Silver Cross Hospital. The gunshot wounds to both Will County Sheriff's deputies were not life threatening, Wilkes said.

After Waddell opened fire, the police officers retreated back outside, the judge was told.

As for Johnson, he had been inside one of the bedrooms at the time. He later told Joliet Police that he "heard loud bangs" and "two gunshots."

"We have to go! The police are here!" Waddell yelled to Johnson, the prosecutor told the judge.

Both men were captured in the front yard after they tried to run outside and get away, according to testimony. At the time of his capture, Waddell "asked if the officer was OK," Wilkes told Judge Smigielski.

Waddell was taken into custody but he refused to give a statement to police, the prosecutor said.

Johnson, however, cooperated with the police and gave them a statement, according to Wednesday's testimony.

Johnson actually works for the church. He is employed at Christ Temple Church, he told the judge.

Ultimately, the Will County Public Defender's Office was appointed to represent the two men.

Drugs, Guns Seized

After the two men were apprehended, police returned inside the apartment unit and confiscated the following items of physical evidence throughout the residence, Wilkes told the judge:

• one 9 mm gun
• one .22-caliber gun
• one revolver
• 128 rounds of live ammunition
• one unloaded shotgun
• 10 grams of cocaine

The prosecutor told the judge the revolver had discharged a total of four bullets, and that all of the handguns seized during the raid were loaded weapons. The shotgun did not have any live ammunition in it.

Convicted felons

Both Johnson and Waddell are convicted felons, but Waddell's criminal history is more extensive. He has numerous felony convictions dating back to the early 1990s for drugs and unlawful use of a weapon charges. He is currently on federal probation after receiving an eight-year sentence in 2010 by the federal government.

Johnson's criminal history dates back about 30 years and includes a sentence in the 1980s to the Illinois Department of Corrections for drugs.

Separately, the public defenders asked Waddell and Johnson if each of them had any money they could post to bail themselves out of the Will County Jail. Both said no.

Next, the public defenders asked the two men separately if they had any friends and family members who had money who would be inclined to post bail on each of their behalf. Both again said no.

The appointed counsel asked Judge Smigielski to set "a reasonable bond" on behalf of their new clients.

Judge Smigielski set their bail at $20 million each.

The judge said the $20 million bail was appropriate given the nature of these crimes, the use of a gun and the fact that the victims of the violent crime were both police officers in the performance of their duties.

"Each of you needs $2 million cash," the judge informed Waddell and Johnson.

After the hearing, Will County State's Attorney's Office spokesman Chuck Pelkie told Joliet Patch that Glasgow and his office are relieved to learn that both of the Will County Sheriff's deputies "did not suffer more serious injuries."

"The State's Attorney is relieved and thankful these officers are going to recover. The State's Attorney has tremendous respect for what dangers these officers place themselves in every day."

Sheriff Kelley Reaction

A press release issued on Wednesday afternoon from the Will County Sheriff's Department included the following comments from Sheriff Mike Kelley:

“I want to personally thank the gang suppression unit for the fine work that they do. These guys have my utmost respect and admiration. This group puts themselves in tremendous jeopardy every day. They have served over 1,200 warrants without incident until last night. This incident demonstrates how, in a second, things can go from a routine day to potentially a life-threatening incident.

“I cannot adequately express how grateful I am that these two men are going to be OK. They both are extremely lucky. Both gunshots were within an inch from being extremely serious or even fatal. The Sheriff’s Office, command staff, and all the employees of the department stand behind these two deputies and extend our full support.”

File image via John Ferak/Joliet Patch Editor