CHAMPAIGN – A 20-year-old man was arraigned today for a deadly mass shooting that occurred in Champaign in July. The Champaign County State’s Attorney Office is charging Davucci Craig with first-degree murder in connection with the shooting at the American Legion post on Hickory Street. Police say Craig shot and killed 17-year-old Kieshaun Thatch, who…
DANVILLE – Hundreds filled Danville High School’s auditorium on Saturday, October 9, to celebrate the life of Jelani Day. The 25-year-old was reported missing in late August. At the time, he was pursuing a graduate degree in speech pathology at Illinois State University. Speakers celebrated Day’s dream of becoming a doctor. And how he pursued…
CHAMPAIGN – Police in Champaign are still searching for the person who shot and killed a Centennial High School student. On Friday, the city identified the victim as 17-year-old Jonathon McPhearson. Officers said McPhearson was sitting along West Kirby Avenue on Thursday afternoon when multiple people in masks walked up and opened fire on him. So…
CHAMPAIGN – A Champaign Unit 4 school bus was struck by gunfire Thursday while transporting students home. No students or staff were injured. A statement from the Champaign Police Department says officers responded to the area of Neil Street and Arcadia Drive just before 3 pm for the report of shots fired. Police found a crash involving…
URBANA – Family, friends and fellow police officers said farewell to University of Illinois Police lieutenant Aaron Landers Tuesday, at a funeral held at the Vineyard Church in Urbana. The 50-year-old Landers died August 23rd, from injuries suffered in a five-vehicle traffic crash the day before in Champaign. A driver involved in the accident has…
URBANA – A University of Illinois Police Lieutenant killed in an off-duty wreck will be laid to rest on Tuesday afternoon. The department says a procession honoring Lt. Aaron Landers will begin at The Vineyard Church of Central Illinois on Lincoln Avenue in Urbana. It is scheduled to start around 12:30 p.m. The procession will…
The Illinois State Police say they’re working to improve diversity at the agency and expand capacity, but this comes after years of criticism over a huge backlog in DNA evidence and the slow processing of firearm licenses. The 21st was joined by Illinois State Police Director Brendan Kelly to talk about it. GUEST Brendan Kelly Director, Illinois State Police Today, Illinois…
URBANA – A revised use of force policy for Urbana Police covers 14 pages, instead of the eight pages covered by the old one. And it puts a new emphasis on de-escalating potentially violent situations. Urbana City Council members heard a presentation on the new policy at their Monday night meeting on August 23….
URBANA – A car crash involving five vehicles on Sunday claimed the life of a lieutenant at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Police Department. On Monday, the university confirmed in a press release that Lt. Aaron Landers died from injuries sustained in the crash at Carle Foundation Hospital early Monday. Landers had been on the…
Post updated August 22 at 4:45 p.m. CHAMPAIGN – Police in Champaign are looking for the person who shot a 20-year-old man along busy Green Street late Saturday night. In a press release, Champaign police say they responded to shots fired in the 100 block of East Green Street just before 11:30 p.m. Officers arrived…
URBANA – A special Champaign County Board committee has three months to come up with a plan to resolve the county’s jail issues. Meanwhile, the sheriff plans to send some inmates to jails in other counties, due to a shortage of correctional officers. County board members meeting as a Committee Of The Whole Tuesday night…
URBANA – Arraignment is scheduled on Monday for a man accused of killing a teenager. On Friday morning, bicyclists found a body laying in a ditch along East Washington Street in Urbana. The Champaign County Coroner’s office identified the victim as 14-year-old Steven Butler III. His family reported him missing the night before. An autopsy…
CHAMPAIGN – This week, the city of Champaign dedicated a portion of University Avenue to police officer Chris Oberheim. Oberheim was shot and killed while responding to a domestic violence call on the morning of May 19. Officer Jeffrey Creel, who was shot and wounded, killed the suspect, Darion Lafayette of Champaign. On Tuesday, members…
URBANA – Halfway through 2021, Urbana had already surpassed the total number of shootings that took place in 2020. Last month, the Urbana Police Department reported 55 shootings had occurred so far this year — more than the 53 that occurred in all of 2020. This follows a trend of heightened gun violence throughout the…
CHICAGO — When Marlon Chamberlain was asked by his son’s teacher to volunteer as a field trip chaperone, he happily applied. But Chamberlain’s application was denied because of his 25 year-old prison record. “There are hundreds of laws that restrict [formerly incarcerated] people, who are denied opportunities for employment, housing and educational opportunities,” he…