Woodstock man gets 4 years in prison for kicking cop in the head

A Woodstock man who police said threatened to kill an officer’s children during an arrest was sentenced Wednesday to four years in prison.

Juan Morales Jr., 33, pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated battery of an officer, a Class 2 felony. In exchange for his plea, additional charges were dismissed including two additional counts of aggravated battery, threatening a public official and resisting an officer, according the judgment order filed in McHenry County court.

He is required to serve half of his prison time, after which he will be on 12 months of mandatory court-supervised release. He will receive credit for 180 days spent in custody of the county jail. He also will receive credit for 49 days for time spent working, volunteering or participating in a self-improvement program, according to the judgment order signed by Judge Tiffany Davis.

Police said that at about 1 a.m. June 15, they were called to The Cabin, a tavern on North Benton Street, for a report of a physical altercation, a news release issued at the time of his arrest said.

When officers arrived, they found Morales outside the bar “being restrained by other citizens,” according to a news release.

Police said that just prior to the altercation, Morales was told to leave the tavern because of his behavior. He was accused of striking another bar patron and an employee.

Morales allegedly resisted arrest and kicked an officer while he was being placed in a squad car. He also is accused of attempting to spit in the officer’s face.

The offense to which Morales pleaded guilty was from kicking the officer “in the head near his eye causing bruising and/or swelling,” knowing he was a police officer performing his duties, according to the indictment.

During the earlier altercation, Morales allegedly struck a man “on the left side of his face causing injury to his cheek and left ear” and “began physically fighting with” another man, court documents alleged. He also was accused of threatening a Woodstock police sergeant saying, “‘I’m going to kill your two kids,’” according to authorities.