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Elgin police: Man demanded money for pizza before attacking cop

An Elgin man was being held on $500,000 bail Thursday after being accused of assaulting a police officer in his garage, Elgin police said.

Terrence A. Kennedy, 36, of the 1600 block of Sheffield Drive, was charged with felony counts of aggravated assault to a police officer and criminal trespass to residence after the attack at about 2:15 p.m. Wednesday, Elgin Deputy Police Chief Bill Wolf said.

The officer, who suffered a concussion and is recovering at home, was on duty and taking his lunch break at home when Kennedy started banging on the door between the officer's garage and house, Wolf said.

Kennedy accused the officer of having pepper-sprayed him in the past, and demanded money to buy pizza for his children, Wolf said.

The officer told Kennedy he didn't know him and never pepper-sprayed him, and repeatedly asked him to leave, Wolf said.

Kennedy then attacked the officer and punched him in the head, Wolf said. The officer was able to call for help via his radio and Kennedy was arrested at the scene.

"Every indication is that he absolutely knew an officer lived there," Wolf said. The officer's squad car was parked on the street nearby.

Kennedy had been pepper-sprayed when he resisted arrest in May 2007 after being accused of trespassing at Judson University in Elgin, Wolf said.

One of the officers who arrested Kennedy in 2007 used to live in the area where Wednesday's attack took place, Wolf said.

"We are guessing maybe he got them mixed up, but we don't know that for sure," he said.

The officer also suffered injuries to his head. He was treated and released Wednesday from Advocate Sherman Hospital in Elgin, Wolf said.

As a condition of his bail, Kennedy will be placed on a GPS monitoring device if he posts $50,000 bond and is released, police said.

If convicted of the most severe charge, Kennedy faces anywhere from probation to seven years in prison. He is next due in court Sept. 3, according to Kane County court records.

According to court records, Kennedy has been arrested on charges of driving while his license was suspended and other offenses.

In June 1996, he was arrested on charges of misdemeanor battery in South Elgin, but the charge was later dismissed. In February 1997, Kennedy was picked up in Elgin on charges of felony theft, but the charge was later dismissed by the state after Kennedy completed 100 hours of public service, records show.

Kennedy spent 13 days in jail after a September 2005 arrest in Elgin for trespassing, records show.

He also was ordered to perform 200 hours of public service and put on 11 months of conditional discharge, which is a form of probation, for that arrest, according to Kane County court records.

He was arrested on charges of trespassing in August 2006 in St. Charles, but those charges were later dismissed, records show.

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