Convicted felon accused of pointing gun at people in West Chicago
Ryan Ratliff | DuPage County State's Attorney
WEST CHICAGO, Ill. - A West Chicago man with multiple felony convictions allegedly pointed a loaded gun at people in a car on over the weekend.
What we know:
Ryan Ratliff, 35, was charged with unlawful possession of a firearm by a repeat felony offender, unlawful possession of a weapon by a felon, aggravated unlawful possession of a weapon and two counts of aggravated assault.
The incident happened around 8:40 p.m. on Saturday roughly a mile away from West Chicago's Railroad Days festival, according to the DuPage County State's Attorney's Office.
Ratliff allegedly jumped in front of a moving vehicle on Arbor Street and pointed a handgun at the car’s occupants, who fled and called police. Officers later spotted Ratliff outside a nearby liquor store and took him into custody. A search of the store uncovered a loaded gun with 20 rounds in the magazine hidden behind bottles on a shelf. The gun had been reported stolen from Chicago earlier in June.
What they're saying:
"The thought of an individual with a violent background such as Mr. Ratliff’s, allegedly in possession of a loaded handgun in public, is extremely disturbing. By law, as a convicted felon Mr. Ratliff has forfeited his right to ever possess a firearm," DuPage County State's Attorney Robert Berlin said in a statement.
What's next:
Ratliff remains in custody and is scheduled to appear in court again on July 28.
If convicted, Ratliff could face a sentence of between six and 30 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections, according to Berlin.
The Source: The information in this report came from the DuPage County State's Attorney's Office.