Authorities: Relative of man killed by police accused of making threat

The niece of a man killed by a Carol Stream police officer is accused of making threats against the department, officials said.

Dajanae T. Barnes, 22, of Carol Stream, is charged with five felony counts of threatening a public official.

She was arrested Wednesday evening at a protest over the death of Isaac Goodlow III, 30, of Carol Stream. A police officer shot Goodlow to death in February inside his apartment.

A DuPage County prosecutor said in a petition to detain Barnes pretrial that she said, “I'll blow this building up, watch when I get out. So take me to jail for saying that too … ”

She also threatened three police officers, according to court records.

At a detention hearing on Thursday, Andrew Stroth, the attorney representing Barnes, asked the judge to consider the context of the incident.

A few hours before, DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin had announced he would not prosecute the officer who shot Goodlow.

“It was an emotional day for the family,” Stroth said. “I’m not defending or supporting any actions on the video,” he said.

However, Stroth noted Barnes does not own a gun and has no interest in interacting with Carol Stream police.

“I would ask the court for some level of grace,” he added.

Judge Joshua Dieden agreed with prosecutors that Barnes was a danger to the officers and the police department. But he also noted she has no criminal history, there is no evidence she owns or has access to a gun, and that, up until Wednesday, she has been a law-abiding citizen.

He ordered her to stay away from the Carol Stream Police Department and to report to probation services for pretrial supervision.

Barnes also was charged with obstruction of justice, resisting a peace officer, mob action and public demonstration/size of assembly, according to court records.

Goodlow was killed in his apartment in February by police investigating a domestic abuse complaint. Berlin said he did not have sufficient evidence to charge the police officer with a crime. But he declined to say the shooting was justified.

The protest took place near a White Castle. According to the petition, police said people were interfering with traffic. Several people were charged with misdemeanors and traffic offenses.