Man accused of setting Chicago police vehicle on fire will be held in custody until trial
Timothy O'Donnell (Federal Court Records)
CHICAGO - A man accused of setting fire to a Chicago police vehicle while wearing a Joker mask during protests over police misconduct will be held in custody until trial, a federal judge ruled Monday.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Gabriel Fuentes ordered Timothy O’Donnell held pending trial after prosecutors asserted O’Donnell, 31, had a criminal record that included bond forfeiture and failure to appear for hearings in five states, including Illinois.
Defense attorney Michael Leonard said Metropolitan Correctional Center officials, without professional consultation, stopped giving O’Donnell medication that controlled seizures and convulsions. In his ruling, the judge said he intended to reach out to jail officials for assurances O’Donnell receives adequate medical care.
O’Donnell is charged with arson for the alleged crime, which occurred during demonstrations over the death of George Floyd, a black man who was handcuffed, died after a white officer pressed his knee into Floyd’s neck for several minutes even after he stopped moving and pleading for air. The officer has been fired and charged with second-degree murder.
Photos attached to a criminal complaint filed last week in U.S. District Court allegedly show O’Donnell holding a lit object and putting it in the gas tank of Chicago Police Department SUV.
Authorities say that although he was wearing the Joker mask, he was identified through a "PRETTY" tattoo seen on the person’s neck. A family member directed authorities to O’Donnell, authorities said.