Bob Berlin: "We As A Society Must Never Normalize Or Accept This Type Of Violent Behavior"
“We as a society must never normalize or accept the type of violent behavior alleged in this case,” Berlin said. “We should be outraged at allegations such as these, that two masked men robbed a business at gunpoint and then, without provocation or even a warning from officers, opened fire on the police officers. This behavior cannot stand and in DuPage County we will not sit idly by while criminals terrorize our communities. We will respond with every legal tool available to control violent crime and keep our businesses, their patrons and our communities safe.”
LOMBARD - DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin and Lombard Chief of Police Roy Newton announced today that bond has been denied for a Chicago man accused of robbing a Lombard Tobacco shop at gunpoint which led to an exchange of gunfire resulting in a Lombard police officer being shot in the leg and the shooting death of a suspect. Anthony Brown, 31 (1/13/1991) of the 7500 block of S. Hermitage Avenue, appeared in Bond Court this morning where Judge James Orel granted the State’s motion to deny bond. Brown has been charged with one count of Attempt First Degree Murder, one count of Aggravated Battery, one count of Aggravated Discharge of a Firearm at an Officer and one count of Armed Robbery with a Firearm, all Class X Felonies.
On December 8, 2022, at approximately 4:05 p.m., officers with the Lombard Police Department responded to a call of an armed robbery in progress at the Pipes and Tobacco store located at 54 W. Roosevelt Road. Upon their arrival, officers encountered two individuals, later identified as Brown and Pierre Thompson running from the business. It is alleged that as Thompson approached two officers in their vehicle, he opened fire with a gun that had been modified with a switch to enable it to fire as a fully automatic weapon as the officers began to exit the vehicle, striking one of the officers in the leg. It is alleged that the officer returned gunfire striking Thompson, killing him. Brown was taken into custody by Lombard police officers within seconds of the shooting. Both the officer and Thompson were immediately transported to a local hospital for medical attention. Thompson was pronounced deceased at the hospital. The injured officer received medical attention and is recovering from his injury. Following an investigation into the incident, it is alleged that Brown and Thompson, both wearing masks, entered the business, brandished a handgun and ordered an employee to open the cash register. It is further alleged after taking money from the cash register, Brown and Thompson brought the employee to the back of the store where they encountered the owner of the store. It is alleged that Brown and Thompson ordered the men on the floor and at some point in time hit the owner of the store on the head with the gun before stealing the men’s wallets and cellular phones as well as approximately $600 from a file cabinet in the back of the store. It is alleged that the two men then fled the store.
“We as a society must never normalize or accept the type of violent behavior alleged in this case,” Berlin said. “We should be outraged at allegations such as these, that two masked men robbed a business at gunpoint and then, without provocation or even a warning from officers, opened fire on the police officers. This behavior cannot stand and in DuPage County we will not sit idly by while criminals terrorize our communities. We will respond with every legal tool available to control violent crime and keep our businesses, their patrons and our communities safe. We are all very thankful that the officer involved is expected to survive his injury. He has a long road ahead of him and we wish him the best and thank him for his service. I commend the Lombard Police Department and other assisting agencies for their outstanding work in bringing a tense, rapidly evolving situation under control in extremely quick fashion. I thank DuPage County MERIT Public Integrity Team for their assistance in this case. I also thank Assistant State’s Attorneys Helen Kapas and Joseph Lindt for their extended efforts the past two days in preparing an extremely strong case against Mr. Brown.”
“Lombard enjoys an extremely high quality of life thanks to officers such as those who responded to the incident last Thursday,” Newton said. “They put their lives on the line every time they put on their badge and it is truly unfortunate that one of our officers was forced to either return gunfire or be killed himself. No officer ever wants to be in that position. I am extremely grateful that the officer is expected to recover and on behalf of the entire Lombard Police Department, I wish him a speedy recovery and wish him well, physically and emotionally. I thank all of our partners in law enforcement who came to our assistance. Law enforcement works best when it works together. I also thank DuPage County State’s Attorney Bob Berlin and his staff for their availability and legal guidance throughout this incident.”
Brown’s next court appearance is scheduled for December 27, 2022, for arraignment in front of Judge John Kinsella. If found guilty, he faces a penalty of between 41-125 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections. The officer involved shooting is currently under investigation by the MERIT Public Integrity Team.
Members of the public are reminded that this complaint contains only charges and is not proof of the defendant’s guilt. A defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial in which it is the government’s burden to prove his or her guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
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