Long standoff on Interstate 55 comes to an end Thursday evening

 

[March 08, 2019] 

LINCOLN 

On Thursday evening, after hours on alert, the Illinois State Police were able to take into custody a Springfield man wanted for shooting a McHenry County Deputy in Rockford.

At about 9:30 a.m. Thursday morning, Floyd Brown was in a residential motel in Rockford with a female cohabitant. McHenry County Deputy Jacob Keltner approached Brown to serve warrants on the man who was wanted for burglary and parole violations in the Rockford, Champaign County and Bloomington areas.

Officer Keltner and Brown's female companion were both shot by Brown. Police in Rockford said there were no shots fired by Officer Keltner.

Brown escaped in a vehicle and headed south on Interstate 55 being chased by Illinois State Police Officers. The high-speed chase, with speeds reported at up to 150 miles per hour at times came to an end just before noon Thursday when Brown's car went off the road in the vicinity of Krueger Elevator at the 133 mile post on I-55.

The Logan County Sheriff's office and Lincoln Police officers assisted in securing the scene as the standoff between Brown and law enforcement began.

Traffic was diverted off of I-55 and rerouted onto Lincoln Parkway on the southbound side. Traffic going north attempting to get to I-55 on the north side of town was turned around. For a time the congestion of traffic in Lincoln was troublesome for local motorists, but had to be endured as the safety of the public took precedence.

When they felt they could do so safely, law enforcement re-opened the northbound lanes of I-55 and permitted traffic to re-enter the interstate above the 133 mile post.

During the standoff, scanner information indicated that Brown was in the back seat of his vehicle. Officers would report that he had a car door opened and then he would close it and open it again. Reports that Brown escaped the vehicle and was running on foot from the scene were incorrect, as the suspect remained in the vehicle until he was arrested.

At 3:30 p.m. Thursday afternoon it was reported that Deputy Jacob Keltner had passed away. It was also reported that the woman who was allegedly shot at the same time will survive.

At a little before 5 p.m. Thursday evening, a Chicago television crew on scene reported hearing some popping noises coming from the area of the vehicle. They said it did not sound like gunfire but it did appear there was something happening near the car.
Police had used flash/bangs, which are designed to distract without doing harm.

Logan County Paramedics transported suspect Floyd Brown to ALMH for non-life threatening treatment shortly after the standoff ended by the use of flash bangs.

The crashed truck could not be seen from any direction as it was in a remote deep ditch off of Interstate 55 near Legends Subdivision on the north side of Lincoln.  Law enforcement officials and investigators remained on scene for some time after the standoff ended.

Dusk was closing in as media waited for near Kruger Elevator just south of the 133 exit to Interstate 55 interchange. Numerous northern Illinois television stations swarmed the area to get first hand reports related to the incident that began with an officer being shot around Rockford.  Approximately 3:30 p.m. it was reported that the McHenry County Sheriff's
Deputy Jacob Keltner had passed away from his injuries.

Within 10 minutes the Illinois State Police reported that the suspect was in custody. It was also reported that the suspect was injured and would be transported to a hospital.

While we mourn the loss of the officer in Rockford, we also say a prayer of gratitude that local officers and emergency response staff, as well as our local ISP officers were able to bring this situation to a conclusion without the loss of any other lives.

Thanks to all who worked so hard and put themselves in the 'line of fire' to stop an alleged killer, and keep our community safe.

[Nila Smith with photos by Jan Youngquist]