Chicago Man With 57 Arrests Released After Vicious Assault

A Chicago man with a long-documented history of unprovoked violence and 57 arrests was released after pleading guilty to shattering a man’s jaw with a blunt object.

Pierre Thorne, a Chicago resident with an extensive criminal record, was recently released without serving additional prison time after pleading guilty to the vicious assault. The incident, which occurred on December 8, 2022, marked his 57th arrest.

Thorne admitting to approaching a 53-year-old stranger from behind before striking him with a metal object, described as a metal pipe in some reports, according to CWBChicago. The victim, who had no prior connection to Thorne, was seriously injured in the attack.

The victim immediately fell to the ground and suffered a shattered jaw with multiple facial fractures, loss of several teeth, damage to the nose, lacerations to the chin and scalp, and an abrasion to the left eye. They were ultimately left with permanent facial disfigurement after multiple reconstructive surgeries.

Thorne has an extensive criminal history dating back to 2011
Photo: Cook County Sheriff’s Office

Since 2011, Thorne has been arrested a total of 57 times, with a significant number of arrests relating to unprovoked acts of violence.

In one of the most serious cases brought against him, Thorne was charged with battery after striking a person at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in December 2020. He was also arrested multiple times for damaging property, criminal trespassing and numerous unprovoked assaults in downtown Chicago.

In the 2022 pipe assault case, Thorne pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated battery causing great bodily harm. On January 12, 2026, Cook County Judge Joanne Rosado sentenced him to four years in prison.

However, he was released immediately due to credit for 752 days spent in jail while awaiting trial and a standard 50 percent sentence reduction for “good behavior” under Illinois law. This effectively nullified any additional prison time.

The lenient sentence is in line with Illinois’ “progressive” criminal justice reforms. This includes cashless bail and high plea bargain rates, which are over 95 percent in Cook County.

Thorne’s release has drawn sharp criticism from the public and lawmakers both on a national and local level. Senior White House advisor Stephen Miller described the release as “a form of political terrorism unleashed by the Democrat Party,” in a social media post.

“The refusal to incarcerate violent offenders is a policy choice with a purposeful result,” he added.

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