A woman claims she was held against her will and questioned by police during a nationwide manhunt for an accused murderer mistakenly released from prison last month.
Dominque Jenkins had dated Garrett Glover for about two years, with her relationship ending once the now-29-year-old was arrested in 2014.
That year, Glover was taken into custody and charged with an armed robbery, according to Cara Smith, Cook County Sheriff’s Dept. spokeswoman. Then, in 2015, he was charged with murder in connection with a Sept. 5, 2012 shooting on southbound I-94 on Chicago’s Far South Side. He was being held on $2 million bail and has pleaded not guilty to the charge.
Last month, Glover was “erroneously” released to a parole program instead of being sent back to the Stateville Correction Center after a court hearing, according to the sheriff’s office. The mistake sent authorities on a massive manhunt that would ultimately end a little more than a week later.
But during their search, Jenkins said she was picked up for questioning.
She said she was taken to a Markham facility, where she remained for several hours. Two days later, an officer came back to her home and took her in once again.
“He didn’t read me my rights or say I was arrested,” Jenkins said. “He just threw the cuffs on me and they took me to Maywood. I was fingerprinted, had to take my shoestrings out, give them everything I had on me and threw me in a cell and I was there overnight.”
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She said she was never told she was being charged with a crime during that time.
“If you or I were to do that it would be called a kidnapping or an unlawful restraint,” Jenkins’ attorney Jayne Ingles said. “But when you do that and it’s the police it’s a civil rights violation.”
The sheriff’s office argued against Jenkins’ claims.
“I think her attorneys are looking to financially benefit from this, which is outrageous, but I think they have grossly mischaracterized what occurred here,” said Smith.
Sheriff Tom Dart said the tactics were thorough, but legal.
“We obviously complied with the laws,” he said. “We weren’t violating anybody’s rights. But for a case like this you have to treat this with the highest priority.”
Jenkins said she missed work because of the detention and her two children were traumatized.
“The first thing my daughter said when I came home – and she’s seven—she said, ‘Mom I hate the police,’” Jenkins said. “And I told her, ‘Don’t feel like that. Every police isn’t like that. I don’t want you to feel like that about the police.’”
The sheriff’s department said they had evidence Jenkins had contact with Glover after his release, something she denies. Legally, they maintain they could have held her for up to 48 hours.
Jenkins’ attorneys said they plan to file suit.
