Teen punched customer at Route 59 Walmart, injured 2 officers: cops

A 16-year-old who may have been under in the influence of drugs attempted to steal items from the Route 59 Walmart, punched a customer in the face and injured two officers, police said.

About 6 p.m. Tuesday, officers went to Walmart at 1401 Route 59 in response to a report of a disturbance, according to a Joliet police news release.

When the officers arrived, they determined that a juvenile was in the electronics section of Walmart and employees saw him conceal a cellphone in his pocket, police said.

The juvenile was also observed reaching over a counter to take numerous items and conceal them in his pants before he walked away from the electronics section, police said.

“A short time later, the juvenile approached a customer and punched him in the face multiple times while threatening to kill him,” police said.

Officers located the juvenile within the store and placed him into custody, police said.

The officers searched him and recovered “a large number of pills suspected to be Xanax in a clear bag,” as well as the stolen merchandise, police said.

When the officers went to escort the juvenile to the rear of a squad car that was waiting for him, the juvenile refused to go inside the vehicle and he “kicked and bit an officer,” police said.

The officers were eventually able to secure the juvenile and took him to the Joliet Police Department, where he kicked another officer in the head, police said.

“It was determined that the juvenile may have been under the influence of drugs at which time he was transported to (AMITA Health Saint Joseph) Medical Center by the Joliet Fire Department,” police said.

After the juvenile’s hospital stay, he was taken to River Valley Juvenile Detention Center.

The juvenile was arrested on probable cause of possession of a controlled substance, retail theft, disorderly conduct, resisting and obstructing a police officer, and battery.