College Man Shot By Police After He Refuses to Put Down Gun

 Posted on August 15, 2018 in Uncategorized

A college student was shot by three police officers July 12 after he was repeatedly told to lower his weapon. The man, a student at the University of Illinois, was shot in the leg after he pointed what was at the time thought to be a handgun at police and was given multiple warnings to drop the gun. Two college police officers and a Champaign County sheriff's deputy encountered the man after they received a call about a man loading a semi-automatic handgun. The man, who was later identified as a student at the University of Illinois, was charged with felony disorderly conduct.

Handgun Turns Out to Be Pellet Gun

When the police arrived on the scene, they were under the impression that the man was holding a loaded handgun. After instructing the man several times to lower the weapon, they shot him in the leg. After closer inspection of the gun, it was determined to be a Beretta air pellet pistol, which looks very similar to a real handgun. Police say the gun would not have been identified as an air pellet pistol without a close inspection.

Man Placed Call About Himself

Police reported to the scene after they received a call about a man loading a handgun. The 23-year-old man’s mother informed police that he placed the phone call himself before police showed up. The man gave a description of a white male in his 20s of a medium build with brown hair, which is how the officers identified the suspect and proceeded to defuse the situation. Because the situation is still under investigation, all three officers are on paid leave, which is in accordance with policy.

Legal Ramifications

After the incident, the man was charged with felony disorderly conduct. In Illinois, disorderly conduct is defined as:

• Acts done purposefully to alarm or disturb another and to upset the peace;
• Giving officials false alarms of threats such as fire and explosives;
• Telling officials threats of harm to others, whether false or not;
• Giving false reports to the Department of Children and Family Services or the Department of Public Health; or
• Invading someone’s privacy by entering their property and looking into their dwelling.

Depending on what type of situation caused the disorderly conduct charge, the crime could be classified anywhere from a Class C misdemeanor to a Class 4 felony. In this case, the man was charged with a Class 4 felony misdemeanor, which carries a possible sentence of one to three years in prison with one year of parole after being released from prison.

Seek Help From a Joliet Criminal Defense Attorney

Though brandishing a gun and disrupting the peace is never a good idea, if you have been charged with disorderly conduct, you can contest those charges in court. By contacting an aggressive and knowledgeable Will County criminal defense lawyer, you can figure out what your best course of action would be. Contact the Law Offices of Jack L. Zaremba, P.C. to begin discussing your case in a free consultation by calling 815-740-4025.