Oak Park Police Detective Allan Reddins tragically lost his life in a shootout outside the Oak Park Public Library, located at 834 Lake Street, on November 29. The incident unfolded in the late morning hours when Reddins, who was on patrol that day due to staff shortages, responded to a report about an armed man seen leaving a Chase Bank.
The man, later identified as 37-year-old Jerrell Thomas, was walking along Lake Street near the library when a police sergeant first spotted him. The library was closed at the time. Body camera footage from the sergeant captured their initial interaction.
“Can I talk to you for a second?” the sergeant asked. Thomas responded politely, “How you doin’?” to which the sergeant replied, “Good, how are you?” Thomas answered, “I’m alright,” but moments later, things took a deadly turn.
As the sergeant urged Thomas to keep his hands visible, saying, “Don’t reach, don’t reach,” Reddins arrived and echoed similar warnings: “Don’t reach, bro. Don’t reach. Keep your hands up.” But Thomas ignored their commands. His chilling final words, “I have to go back home,” were caught on camera just before he pulled out a gun and started shooting.
Reddins’ body camera cut off after the first shot, but footage from the sergeant’s camera recorded the chaos as at least six shots rang out. Thomas fled and took cover behind a pillar near the library’s entrance, while officers continued shouting for him to drop his weapon.
Another sergeant, approaching from the park, fired two shots, hitting Thomas in the leg. The suspect cried out in pain, yelling, “Ow, my leg,” as officers closed in, disarmed him, and called for an ambulance. They applied a tourniquet to his injured leg to stop the bleeding.
Tragically, Reddins was hit during the shootout, suffering a fatal gunshot wound to his left side. He was rushed to Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood, but doctors couldn’t save him. He was just 40 years old.
Detective Allan Reddins joined the Oak Park Police Department in 2019 after working as a Metra police officer for two years. In 2022, he was promoted to detective, and his colleagues remembered him as a dedicated and compassionate officer. Hundreds of officers, family, and friends gathered at the Apostolic Church of God in Woodlawn to say their final goodbyes at his funeral.
During her eulogy, Oak Park Police Chief Shatonya Johnson shared heartfelt words about Reddins. “Allan was wise beyond his years,” she said. “His commitment to serving is unparalleled. He was an asset to the Oak Park Police Department and to the community.”
Jerrell Thomas, the man accused of shooting Reddins, was also taken to Loyola University Medical Center for treatment. He now faces a staggering 56 felony charges, including first-degree murder, attempted murder of a peace officer, possession of a stolen firearm, and unlawful use of a weapon by a felon. He remains in custody and is set to appear in court on March 4.
This heartbreaking incident has left the Oak Park community mourning the loss of a brave detective who gave his all to protect others.
