$200,000 bond for Harper student in incident that injured cop

Jay Dixon, a 22-year-old Wheeling man only weeks into his first semester at Harper College, is now sitting in a Cook County Jail cell following a scuffle Wednesday at the college that left a police officer in serious condition.

A somber Dixon, wearing jeans and a University of Illinois sweatshirt, appeared Friday afternoon at the Rolling Meadows courthouse for a hearing on charges of aggravated battery and resisting or obstructing a peace officer.

Cook County Circuit Court Judge Jill Marisie set Dixon's bond at $200,000 - of which he'll have to post 10 percent to be released.

Assistant State's Attorney Maria McCarthy said that at 1 p.m. Wednesday, two officers in full uniform responded to a disturbance that Harper College officials described as a crowd gathered around a female student dancing provocatively.

When told to leave, Dixon, who lives with his friend's grandmother on the 500 block of North Milwaukee Avenue, said he "wasn't going anywhere," according to prosecutors. Dixon then told the officers who asked for his identification, "You can go find it your own damn self."

Prosecutors said Dixon resisted and struggled when the officers grabbed his arms, and took both his fists and pushed one of the officers in the chest. The victim fell back and hit his head on a cement wall, knocking him unconscious. Dixon escaped, but was apprehended by another officer in the parking lot, prosecutors said.

The 58-year-old officer who hit his head spent more than 30 years with the Cook County Sheriff's Office. Five years ago, he joined the Harper force, which has been carrying guns since 2005.

The fall resulted in a skull fracture, as well as bleeding and swelling of the officer's brain. He's conscious, but his prognosis is unknown, prosecutors said. A spokesman for Northwest Community Hospital in Arlington Heights said the victim remains in the critical care unit in serious condition.

McCarthy originally asked Marisie for $750,000 bond, saying Dixon has a habit of not showing up for court. He skipped out on four court appearances during two ongoing cases. In 2007, he was sentenced to five days in Cook County Jail for theft and in 2005, he received supervision for possession of cannabis.

But the defense argued for a lower amount, saying Dixon's mother was only able to post $300. She also wondered why the police zeroed in on Dixon.

"It was a crowd disturbance and there is no indication he was doing anything that would warrant police (intervention)," Assistant Public Defender Kathy Ward said. "He was a young man merely attending school."

Dixon's next court appearance is scheduled for Nov. 4.