People v. Buie

Two boys, one 20, the other 16, were walking on the storefront sidewalk in St. Elmo, Illinois, one late October night.

A truck whipped across the sidewalk and stopped in front of them. One of the boys ducked into a doorway; the other ran, but was caught by defendant’s two fellow scofflaws. They put him in a headlock and dragged him back to where defendant was holding the other boy, who had ducked into the doorway.

They slapped the boys and slammed their heads against a wall. A knife was pulled and held to one boy’s throat. “Don’t tell anyone,” they said.

Defendant grabbed one of the boys, pulled…