Man with knife engaged protesters: records

A New Lenox man drove by a protest in Joliet, yelled at protesters and began to engage the protesters with a knife in his hand before a bystander took it away, police said.

At close to 6 p.m. on July 1, officers went to the 1800 block of West Jefferson Street in response to a report of a disturbance, according to Joliet police Lt. Christopher Botzum.

The officers were able to determine that Brian Kraemer, 29, of the 900 block of Foxwood Court, initially drove by the protest at the corner of Jefferson Street and Larkin Avenue and yelled at the protesters, he said.

At one point, Kraemer pulled his vehicle into the parking lot near the protest, left his car and “began to engage the protesters with a knife in his hand,” Botzum said. There was no indication of the knife being used in an aggressive manner, he said.

A bystander took the knife away from Kraemer while other bystanders called 911, he said.

Kraemer was taken into custody without incident and released on his own recognizance. A knife was recovered at the scene, Botzum said.

On Aug. 13, Kraemer was charged with misdemeanor reckless conduct and disorderly conduct, court records show.

The criminal complaint alleged he endangered the safety of a woman when he “pulled his vehicle aggressively into a crowd of protesters.” The complaint also alleged he brandished a knife in close proximity of a man and he yelled obscenities at another man and a minor while he had the knife.

Kraemer appeared in court on Aug. 13 and entered a plea of not guilty to the charges, according to court records.