A man charged with first-degree murder in the 2023 shooting death of a Chicago Police officer is the first inmate being held in the Knox County jail as part of an effort to ease overcrowding in Cook County.
Joseph Brooks, 19, was one of four teens charged with first-degree murder and armed robbery in the May 6, 2023, killing of Chicago Officer Aréanah Preston, 24. Preston was slain as she was heading home from work, authorities said.
Brooks was transferred from Cook County to the Knox County Law Enforcement Center on Friday, according to the jail’s inmate roster.
Knox County Sheriff Jack Harlan confirmed to WGIL that Brooks is the first inmate being housed at the Knox County Jail through an agreement with Cook County.
“For us, it’s business as usual for the men and women at the Knox County Sheriff’s Office,” Harlan said. “We’ve had inmates charged with attempted murder and murder before. We’ve had people who have sexually assaulted children. We’ve had everything in our facility.”
Cook County reimburses Knox County at a rate of $60 per day per inmate, up to a maximum of 50 inmates.
Harlan said as part of the agreement, he has the right to deny admittance of any inmate that Cook County wants to house in Galesburg. He added it’s common practice for law enforcement agencies to transfer inmates charged with harming a fellow officer to another facility.
“We literally just had our IDOC inspection, and we’re considered one of the best law enforcement correctional facilities in the state,” Harlan said. “Our men and women treat people with dignity and respect.”
The program is designed to lessen overcrowding in Cook County, while bringing in extra revenue to Knox County at a time when the jail has less inmates, thanks in part to pre-trial release under the state’s new Pre-Trial Fairness Act.
Brooks and three other teens were also charged with armed robbery, burglary, motor vehicle theft and other offenses in connection with incidents that occurred prior to the shooting death, police said.
According to a report from the Associated Press, residential surveillance video showed three people getting out of the sedan and running toward Preston, who was still in uniform, before several muzzle flashes are visible on video and she falls to the ground, according to court documents. The attackers ran back to the sedan before one person returned to grab Preston’s gun, court documents allege.
