A northern Illinois man is accused of gouging his uncle’s eyes out during a fight over a remote control. The attacker, Exulam I. Holman, 32, is said to be a career criminal, according to police.
Will County Sheriff’s police were called shortly after 10 p.m. Saturday, New Year’s Eve, to a residence in the 1100 block of McKay Street in Joliet Township where a 62-year-old man reported he’d been attacked. A deputy found the 62-year-old victim with blood streaming from his eyes.
The victim, whose name was not released, had “blood streaming from both eyeballs, covering his face below his eyes. Both of his eyeballs were swollen, dislocated and were protruding approximately a quarter-inch from the eye sockets,” police said.
The victim told deputies his nephew tried to pry his eyes out with his thumbs. The man told police he and his nephew had been arguing over the TV’s remote control. Holman broke the remote on the ground, pushed his uncle to the kitchen floor and straddled him. Holman is 5′ 7″ tall and weighs 280 pounds. His uncle is five inches shorter and weighs 140 pounds less.
The victim said that Holman, “inserted his thumbs into his eyes … and attempted to pry the eyeballs out of the sockets.”
Holman then allegedly pushed his uncle down the basement stairs. Despite being in “excruciating” pain and losing consciousness, he was able to call 911.
Sources reported he is now blind in his left eye and will require additional surgery for the limited vision in his right eye.
Police report Holman has been arrested 25 times since 1999 for aggravated assault, aggravated battery, domestic battery, violating orders of protection, resisting arrest, and numerous driving violations after previous convictions on weapons and narcotics charges.
In 1999, then-Joliet Officer Bernard Mooney allegedly beat Holman while breaking up a dice game in the Forest Park neighborhood. Holman received a $100,000 settlement after threatening to file a lawsuit over his broken nose, and Mooney was fired from the department.
The following summer, another officer allegedly found Holman passed out behind the wheel of a car running in the 1300 block of Woodruff Road. When Holman woke up and was told he’d be arrested for driving under the influence, he put the car in gear and struck the police officer, causing minor injuries.
Let’s hope this dangerous man will not be allowed back on the streets.
The victim’s nephew was arrested on a charge of aggravated domestic battery. A judge ordered him held on $1 million bond Tuesday.
Sources: MSNBC and The Herald News
