5 Detainees Brawl On Way To Skokie Courthouse: Sheriff's Office

SKOKIE, IL — A fight on a bus taking detainees from jail to court in Skokie that briefly sent two men to the hospital Tuesday could lead to criminal charges, authorities said.

The bus was taking 45 men to their court appearances at the 2nd Municipal District courthouse when the brawl began shortly before 10 a.m., according to the Cook County sheriff's office.

Three of the pre-trial detainees "engaged in a physical altercation with two other detainees," according to a statement from the sheriff's office.

Once the bus arrived, a pair of detainees were taken to NorthShore Skokie Hospital for examination, while the other 43 headed to their respective hearings, it said. The hospital later released the two injured men back into sheriff's office custody.

"The Cook County Sheriff’s Office safely transports hundreds of detainees a day and we takes any acts of violence extremely seriously," the statement said. "A criminal investigation into the incident is ongoing."