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Cook County Jail officials said they planned to take action after several inmates clapped as the suspected killer of Cmdr. Paul Bauer was escorted from his first court hearing on Thursday.
Jail officials said they were going to forward video of the “despicable” action by up to five inmates to prosecutors so it could be considered in any potential sentencing. None of the inmates have faced trials yet. The officials also intend to transfer those inmates to jails outside Cook County.
The inmates were among 25 detainees in a bullpen waiting to see a judge after Shomari Legghette’s hearing, according to Cara Smith, chief policy officer for Sheriff Tom Dart. The area is between the court complex and the jail, a place called the bridge.
A video provided by the sheriff’s office shows several of the inmates in a high-ceilinged holding cell clap for Legghette when he walks by, his arms and legs shackled. Some of the inmates, dressed in beige jumpsuits and white sneakers, were seated on a bench and came to the front of the bullpen to watch but did not clap.