Dixon man charged with attempted murder of three police officers declared fit to stand trial

OREGON — The results of a court-ordered mental health evaluation indicate that a rural Dixon man is fit to stand trial as he faces attempted murder charges in connection with the June 12 shooting of three police officers near Dixon.

Jonathon Gounaris, 32, is being held at the Winnebago County Jail in Rockford on four counts of attempted first-degree murder, three counts of aggravated discharge of a firearm, three counts of aggravated battery and two counts of possession of a firearm without a firearm owner’s identification card. He pleaded not guilty July 10.

Police allege Gounaris shot three members of the Ogle County Sheriff’s Office Emergency Response Team after a three-hour standoff when police tried to enter his home at 402 Wild Rice Lane in Lost Lake, a rural subdivision east of Dixon.

[ Sheriff: Rural Dixon resident shoots 3 deputies after barricading himself in home at Lost Lake ]

Ogle County Sheriff’s Lt. Jason Ketter was shot in the face and taken by air ambulance to OSF Medical Center in Rockford, where he underwent surgery. He was released from the hospital June 14.

Ogle County Sheriff’s Deputy Tad Dominski was shot in the arm, and Tyler Carls of the Rochelle Fire Department was shot in the torso. They were treated at KSB Hospital in Dixon and released later that evening.

The ERT is made up of individuals from agencies including the sheriff’s office, Oregon and Byron police departments, and SWAT medics from the Rochelle Fire Department.

Gounaris also was shot during the gunfire exchange and was taken to KSB Hospital in Dixon, where he was treated before being booked into the Winnebago County Jail on June 18.

On Monday, Gounaris appeared before Judge John “Ben” Roe wearing a red jumpsuit issued to inmates, handcuffs and leg irons. He was escorted by two Winnebago County corrections officers and an Ogle County court deputy.

Roe entered the order for a fitness evaluation on July 25 at the request of former Ogle County Public Defender William Gibbs. A fitness evaluation determines if a defendant has the mental capacity to participate in their defense during court proceedings.

The report – prepared by Jayne Braden, a court-appointed forensic and clinical psychologist in Sycamore – found no bona fide doubt as to Gounaris’ fitness and declared him fit to participate in his defense.

The report was sealed and filed into the court on Monday.

At Gounaris’ first appearance in court June 20, Gibbs argued for his release to receive mental health treatment. Despite those arguments, Gounaris has remained in jail.

At the June 20 hearing, Assistant State’s Attorney Matthew Leisten said the sheriff’s office received a call the morning of June 12 from Gounaris’ mother, who was crying and told police that her son had made suicidal and homicidal comments and had access to two guns.

The mother told police that her son had barricaded himself in the home and threatened to kill himself or anyone else who tried to talk to him. She told authorities that her son suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder and, in general, hated police, Leisten told the court that day.

During a preliminary hearing on July 10, Gibbs told Judge John Redington that based on a mental health evaluation done at KSB Hospital in June, the doctors expressed a desire to place Gounaris in an inpatient treatment center.

At a hearing on July 22, Assistant State’s Attorney Heather Kruse told Roe that Gibbs was asked to provide documents from KSB Hospital in support of those claims and had not done so.

In her arguments against Gounaris’ release, Kruse emphasized the seriousness of the injuries to law enforcement and told the court, “he is a clear and present danger to everyone. No one is safe from this defendant.”

At that hearing, Roe denied the request for release, but said he understood the defense’s argument for mental health treatment.

On Monday, after Gounaris was declared mentally fit, Kruse asked Roe to enter an order for Gounaris to submit to fingerprinting and DNA testing. Public Defender Kathleen Isley, who took over after Gibbs’ resignation in August, did not object.

Roe entered the order and the DNA samples have been submitted to the Illinois State Police Crime Lab for analysis. Gounaris has until Nov. 1 to retain an expert in DNA analysis who would be permitted to be present when the analysis is conducted, according to the court order filed by Roe.

Kruse then argued against Gounaris’ release based on her previous arguments.

Isley disagreed. She said any threat to the community could be mitigated under certain conditions and listed some examples such as house arrest or electronic device monitoring.

Roe denied the request for release.

“This is a case that has had an extensive detention hearing and the court stands by its previous detention order,” he said.

Gounaris’ next court appearance is at 1:30 p.m. Oct. 17.