During a bond hearing Monday for Xandria Harris, 26, of Bradley, Kankakee County State’s attorney Jim Rowe described details of body camera footage from the night two Bradley police officers were shot last week.
Harris is charged with first degree murder and attempted murder along with her boyfriend, Darius D. Sullivan. He is facing first degree murder charges, attempted murder charges and aggravated battery discharging a firearm.
Sullivan, 25, of Bourbonnais, is charged with shooting Sgt. Marlene Rittmanic and Officer Tyler Bailey, who were called to the Comfort Inn in Bradley Wednesday night to check on a complaint of barking dogs left in a vehicle.
Rittmanic later died at Riverside Medical Center. Bailey is in critical condition at a Chicago area hospital.
Rowe said during Harris’ bond hearing that body cam footage from Rittmanic recorded her pleading with Sullivan not to shoot her.
“Sgt. Rittmanic was pleading with them to leave. ‘You don’t have to do this. Please just go. Please don’t. Please don’t.’ She was desperately pleading for her life,” Rowe said.
Rowe said the body cam footage showed Harris aid Sullivan, whose gun had jammed. Harris reached around the waist of Sullivan while he had Rittmanic pinned up against the wall, according to Rowe.
Harris was either attempting to cock Sullivan’s gun and/or disarm Rittmanic, Rowe said.
Requesting federal charges
Rowe said he would be contacting the U.S. Attorney General’s office to review the cases of Sullivan and Harris, who are charged with shooting two Bradley police officers.
Rowe made the statement Monday during the bond hearing for Harris, 26, of Bradley.
“I will be submitting an official request to the U.S. Attorney General for the Central District of Illinois and to the U.S. Attorney General to review the first degree murder case pending against Darius Sullivan and Xandria Harris for federal murder charges, and pursue a federal sentence of death against both defendants,” Rowe said during Harris’ bond hearing before Kankakee County Circuit Judge Kathy Bradshaw Elliott.
Although Illinois is not a death penalty state, the U.S. Attorney General can authorize the filing of a petition to seek the death penalty in a federal murder case under certain circumstances, according to Rowe.
The State's Attorney will also seek life sentences for both Sullivan and Harris as the existing state-level charges proceed.
Elliott granted a request to deny Harris bail. She won’t be able to post bond to be released.
“You are a real threat to the community,” Elliott said.
A standing room only crowd, made up mainly of Bradley police officers and other local agencies, attended the hearing. They left after the hearing was over.
Members of Rittmanic’s family were also in attendance.
The case will go before a Kankakee County grand jury on Jan. 22.
The next court date for Harris is Jan. 27 when she will be arraigned.
