Joliet man charged with unlawfully possessing handgun at Pilcher Park

A man was arrested in connection with reported gun shots at Pilcher Park in Joliet but so far has only been charged with unlawful possession of a handgun.

At 4:01 p.m. on Tuesday, officers responded to Pilcher Park, 2501 Highland Park Drive, in response to a report of a man firing a handgun from a Jeep, Joliet police Sgt. Dwayne English said.

When officers arrived, they found a vehicle and a man who matched the description that police received about the suspect, English said.

Officers conducted a traffic stop on the Jeep and were able to identify the driver as Michael Carpenter Jr., 37, of Joliet, English said.

Carpenter indicated to officers that a handgun was inside the vehicle and admitted to them that he fired the gun while in Pilcher Park to test fire it, English said.

Officers recovered a loaded 9 mm handgun from inside the Jeep and Carpenter was arrested, English said. Officers also recovered 9 mm ammunition after searching Carpenter.

Carpenter was arrested on a probable cause charge of reckless discharge of a firearm, but Will County prosecutors did not charge him with that offense.

In a criminal complaint filed Wednesday, prosecutors charged Carpenter with unlawful use of weapons, possession of a firearm without a firearm owner’s identification card, possession of ammunition without a FOID and aggravated unlawful use of a weapon.

Representatives of the Will County State’s Attorney’s Office did not respond to message Friday about the case.

Prosecutors allege Carpenter was at Pilcher Park and knowingly carried or possessed a handgun while he was “not on his land or in his own abode, legal dwelling or fixed place of business” or on land belonging to another person with their permission.

Prosecutors alleged Carpenter possessed a firearm without having a valid license to do so under the Firearm Concealed Carry Act and while he had a protective order issued against him last year.

On Wednesday, a judge found probable cause to continue Carpenter’s detention at the Will County jail and set his bond at $100,000. As a condition of the bond, Carpenter is not allowed to possess any weapons.

Carpenter is due back in court on Aug. 31 for a preliminary hearing to determine if there’s probable cause he committed the offenses he’s been charged with.

Last year, prosecutors charged Carpenter with domestic battery in one case and domestic battery and criminal damage to property in another case. Those charges are misdemeanors and the cases remain pending in court.