ALTON - A woman from Alton charged with escaping police custody and more who was initially detained has since been granted pretrial release.
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Courtney G. Burnett, 31, of Alton, was charged with the following:
On June 14, 2024, Burnett allegedly struck two household or family members about the face and body with her hands while carrying a loaded SCCY model CPX-2 handgun on her person without a valid concealed carry license. She then escaped police custody by “fleeing from the back of a police vehicle,” according to Madison County court documents.
A petition to deny Burnett’s pretrial release, which was later denied, states that officers responded to the scene of a reported disturbance when they witnessed Burnett “strike a female victim in the face.” After both women involved were detained, officers learned that a gun “was previously involved in the altercation.”
Burnett was able to escape from the police vehicle after a bystander reportedly opened the door while officers were busy trying to “control the scene.”
“Officers were then aggressively approached by a male suspect, who also had to be detained,” the petition states. “While officers were attempting to control the scene, the defendant escaped from custody by fleeing from the back of a police car, apparently opened by a bystander. She was pursued and taken back into custody.
“Officers later reviewed video and observed the defendant in a physical altercation in which she repeatedly slapped the male suspect, then went to her vehicle to retrieve a firearm, moving with it aggressively just before police arrived.”
The Alton Police Department presented the case against Burnett, who was initially remanded to be held in jail until her initial court appearance. However, a Release Order was later filed granting her pretrial release.
According to the Release Order, the state failed to prove by “clear and convincing evidence” that Burnett poses a real and present threat to the safety of a specific person or persons in the community. The state reportedly also failed to prove that no conditions except detainment could mitigate the threat posed to the victims.
Burnett was granted conditional pretrial release, with the only condition being that she “refrain from possessing a firearm or other dangerous weapon,” according to the Release Order. Her next court appearance has been set for June 28, 2024.
The issuance of charges is based solely upon probable cause and is not an indication of guilt. All subjects charged with criminal offenses are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
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