KANKAKEE COUNTY, Ill. (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- Kankakee County’s State’s Attorney is calling for harsher penalties for hate crime offenses in Illinois.
Jeffrey Cole, 40 of Bourbonnais has been sentenced to 12 years in prison after being convicted of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon by a felon while in possession of body armor.
The charges stemmed from an incident in June of 2020 in Bradley, in which prosecutors say Cole admitted to pointing a gun at passengers of another vehicle, which included a newborn and a 14-year-old as well as a young couple.
He told police he did so, because the driver had cut his girlfriend off and "I thought it was some protests or riot stuff."
Kankakee County State Attorney Jim Rowe said in a statement that Cole's claim was "not based in reality", and that while the case fits the mold of a hate crime charge, it only carries a maximum sentence of three years in prison.
“Jeffrey Cole’s conduct in pointing a firearm at a vehicle with children inside is sickening, but what likely triggered that response is even more disturbing."
Rowe said he now plans to call for increased sentencing for hate crime offenses, especially those that involve deadly weapons or threat of physical harm.
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