Sex Offender Sics Pit Bull On Police During Battery Arrest: Cops

NILES, IL — A Niles man is accused of grabbing a woman by the throat, pushing her to the ground and repeatedly punching her in the face before encouraging his dog to attack arriving officers.

Nelson Denis, 45, of the 8400 block of Dempster Street, was arrested Tuesday and charged with two felonies, aggravated assault and resisting arrest, as well as misdemeanor domestic battery, following an encounter with Niles police, authorities said.

Niles police were dispatched to a 911 call about a battery in progress by someone matching Denis' description in the parking lot of the Home Depot at 8650 W. Dempster St., according to police and prosecutors. Police reported finding Denis walking a black pit bull in the area.

"As officers approached, [Denis] became verbally argumentative and appeared to be agitating the dog and gave the dog verbal commands to cause it to become aggressive towards the officers," Assistant State's Attorney Alexzandria Johnson said Wednesday during a bond hearing. "[Denis] ushered the dog towards officers, causing the dog to lunge toward officers."

After police spoke to a woman who said that Denis, a former acquaintance, had just attacked her, the officers tied to place him under arrest, Johnson said. Denis then allegedly pulled his pit bull toward the officers.

"As another officer attempted to stop the dog, [Denis] commanded the dog multiple times to attack the officer, causing the dog to almost bite him," Johnson said.

Denis continued to resist arrest, shoving the officers after they managed to get his dog into a squad car, Johnson said, with one officer suffering a cut index finger, small cuts and scrapes to the back of the knee, and another a small cut to his thumb.

Authorities said Denis has four past felony convictions, most recently in 2014 for aggravated battery in a public place, battery to an EMT and violation of the sex offender registry. He was sentenced to a lifetime of sex offender registration following a 1998 conviction for the aggravated criminal sexual abuse of a 13-year-old. Denis is also currently awaiting trial on a hit-and-run and DUI charge, according to the pretrial services division of the chief judge's office.

Citing Denis' criminal history and the threat he posed to first responders if the allegations are true, Cook County Associate Judge Anthony Calabrese ordered him held at Cook County Jail until he posts $25,000 cash as bond and forbid him from any contact with the woman he is accused of attacking.

Johnson also asked the judge to order Denis not to have any "unlawful contact" with the police who arrested him.

"What is the benefit, so I know, for 'any unlawful contact with police officer?'" the bemused judge asked. "It means he can't hit the police officers, is that what 'no unlawful contact' means?"

"Yes, judge, or anything unlawful," Johnson said. "Just like the assault for this case. Just to prevent a situation like that from occurring again."

Calabrese asked how adding a special condition of bond forbidding someone from committing crimes would prevent such a situation — since it would be a new crime if he did it again.

Plus, any allegation that Denis committed another crime while awaiting trial would be grounds for revocation of his bail.

"It's a legal fiction, candidly," the judge said, rejecting Johnson's request.

Denis is due back in court in Skokie on Dec. 29.