Shank Made In Will County Jail By Joliet Inmate: Complaint

JOLIET, IL —A 21-year-old Joliet man already charged with aggravated battery to a Joliet police officer now faces two new felonies after Will County Correctional guards found a shank inside his cell at the Will County Jail, according to a new criminal complaint.

As a result of Monday's incident at 95 South Chicago St. in Joliet, Gregory Rideout now faces additional criminal offenses of possession of contraband in a penal institution and attempted possession of contraband in a penal institution. Both are felonies.

Rideout's criminal complaint indicates he possessed an item of contraband, a weapon that was "a homemade knife also known as a shank, in the Will County Adult Detention Center."

The second charge indicates that Rideout had broken a food tray inside the county jail and used the broken food tray "to begin to fashion a weapon ... a homemade knife, or shank."

A Will County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman told Patch that Rideout had hidden the shank in one of his socks. Correctional guards suspected that Rideout may have had a shank after realizing that Rideout had broken his food tray on Monday, authorities told Patch.

Rideout, who lives in the 400 block of Joliet's Market Street, has remained locked away from society, on a $250,000 bail since the evening of Jan. 23. According to his original complaint, Rideout made physical contact with a female Joliet police officer who was performing her official duties and "he spat on" the officer.

As a result of Monday's incident, a Will County judge increased Rideout's bail from $250,000 to $260,000, jail logs show.