Man accused of throwing gun out of Jeep in Hinsdale

A Chicago man has been accused of throwing a loaded gun out of a car window while being chased by Hinsdale police.

Rakeem Wilton, 28, of the 4800 block of South Calumet Avenue, is charged with armed habitual criminal, unlawful use of a weapon by a felon, and misdemeanor and petty offenses including transportation of open alcohol by a driver, according to the DuPage County state’s attorney’s office.

Judge Joshua Dieden Friday ordered Wilton be detained pretrial.

According to a news release, at 5 a.m. Thursday, police tried to stop a Jeep Patriot at Madison and Fourth streets on allegations of improper lane use and driving without headlights. It said Wilton was the driver, and he did not pull over.

The release said he threw a loaded .380-caliber Smith and Wesson M&P Bodyguard pistol out a window.

The Jeep hit a curb and crashed at Vine Street and Hinsdale Avenue.

Police said they found a loaded .40-caliber Springfield Armory XD-40 pistol on the driver’s side floorboard of the Jeep.

According to a prosecutor’s petition for pretrial detention, police said Wilton told them he did not throw anything and did not know there were guns in the vehicle.

The petition stated that Wilton has convictions for conspiracy to commit murder in a 2015 case and aggravated unlawful use of a weapon.

It also said he had been charged in 2022 and 2024 in Cook County with unlawful use/possession of a weapon by a felon and aggravated unlawful use of a weapon. But those charges had been dropped.

If convicted, Wilton could be sentenced to six to 30 years in prison.