Video shows man accused of killing 11-year-old Takiya Holmes being beaten by inmate at courthouse

Jeff Mayes — Tue, 21 Feb 2017 17:01:08 -0600

By MATTHEW HENDRICKSON
Chicago Sun-Times Wire

The 19-year-old man charged with firing the stray bullet that struck and killed 11-year-old Takiya Holmes was beaten by a Cook County Jail inmate while awaiting a bond hearing at a county courthouse last week.

The beating was captured on video, which was released by the Cook County sheriff’s office.

The surveillance video shows an inmate approaching a dozing Antwan Jones, who is handcuffed to a chair in street clothes before his hearing Wednesday on murder charges at the Leighton Criminal Courthouse.

The inmate, identified by the sheriff’s office as 24-year-old Renard Williams, walks up to Jones and strikes him with a right-handed punch to his head. Williams was able to land several other punches before being grabbed by a sheriff’s employee and pulled away.

Renard Williams | Cook County Sheriff's Dept.

Williams was unrestrained at the time because he was being brought back into the room after appearing in court for a status hearing on murder charges for a fatal shooting in June 2016, according to Cara Smith, spokeswoman for the sheriff’s office.

Smith said it is common for inmates to be without restraints as they are taken out of court, and the attack happened before Williams could be restrained again.

He has been in custody at the jail since August 2016, when he was charged with aggravated battery to a police officer, domestic battery and other charges, according to Chicago Police.

While in custody, he was charged with first-degree murder in January for the fatal shooting of 35-year-old Antoine Randle on June 14, 2016, in the Austin neighborhood.

Antwan Jones | Cook County Sheriff's Dept.

Jones declined to press charges against Williams after the attack, which is also common, Smith said.

Williams was issued a disciplinary ticket for the attack, and has been “a challenging detainee” since he was brought to the jail in August, she said. He has had a number of disciplinary violations, including indecent exposure, fighting and noncompliance with officers’ orders.

Takiya was in the back seat of her family’s minivan when shots rang out the evening of Saturday, Feb. 11, in the 6500 block of South King Drive. Her mother and aunt, who were in the front seats, turned to check on Takiya and her 3-year-old brother, and found the girl had been shot in the right temple. She was pronounced dead at Comer Children’s Hospital on Valentine's Day.

Prosecutors said Jones, a member of the Black Disciples, fired multiple times with a semi-automatic handgun after he and several other gang members went to confront people selling marijuana in what they consider their territory at the Parkway Gardens apartment complex.

Jones turned himself in after being identified by witnesses as the shooter, police said.

He was ordered held without bond by Judge Maria Kuriakos Ciesil on Wednesday. He is now being held at in protective custody, which Smith said was standard for high-profile cases.

Williams remains in the maximum security Division 9 section of the jail, Smith said.

Renard Williams | Homicide Watch Chicago

Video shows man accused of killing 11-year-old Takiya Holmes being beaten by inmate at courthouse