llinois State Police investigate another Sangamon County officer-involved death

[October 05, 2024]  By Beth Hundsdorfer

Illinois State Police launched an investigation into the death of a Kansas man during a multi-county pursuit on Sept. 22 by Sangamon County Sheriff’s deputies.

Kirtis Shane Davenport, 43, died on Sept. 26 at St. Louis University Hospital, according to the St. Louis City Medical Examiner. An autopsy was completed on Oct. 1 to determine cause and manner of death, but no results were available on Wednesday.

“ISP is conducting an officer-involved death investigation related to a pursuit on September 22,” an ISP spokesperson said in a statement. “Once complete, ISP will turn its investigation over to the State’s Attorney’s Office.”

This is the second officer-involved death involving the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office in three months. In July, Deputy Sean Grayson shot an unarmed woman, Sonya Massey, in her kitchen. He is currently facing first-degree murder charges. He remains in the Menard County Jail pending trial.

The Massey shooting garnered national attention. It also brought scrutiny on the hiring practices of former Sangamon County Sheriff Jack Campbell who announced he would retire in August.

The latest death investigation case involved a pursuit that happened just days after the county board approved Paula Crouch, a Springfield Police Department veteran, to replace Campbell.

Details regarding Davenport’s death and the pursuit were scarce, but a news release from the county confirmed the pursuit began after a report of a burglary at a motorcycle dealership north of Springfield. In response to questions from Capitol News Illinois, Crouch confirmed on Tuesday that a deputy and a sergeant were involved in the pursuit.

“ISP was contacted, and it was determined they would investigate the incident when the pursuit began and Sangamon County would handle the burglary investigation,” Crouch responded.

The deputy and sergeant have been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation.

Crouch’s news release was distributed Thursday evening – almost a week after Davenport’s death.

On Sept. 21 around midnight, Sangamon County Sheriff’s deputies were sent to answer an alarm at a Springfield motorcycle dealership. When deputies got there, they found the front door damaged and open. A witness told police they had seen a white Dodge Ram at the dealership with two people inside.

Two hours later, deputies spotted a Dodge Ram with a motorcycle in the bed, according to the news release. Deputies tried to stop the truck, but the driver continued. As the pursuit continued, tools and a tire were thrown from the truck in the deputies’ path.

Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office patrol cars are pictured (Capitol News Illinois file photo by Jerry Nowicki)

The vehicle traveled south on Interstate 55 through Macoupin and Montgomery counties and then into Madison County. Deputies lost sight of the vehicle, according to the news release, and were only able to follow the truck’s taillights. While following the truck, the release said they found Davenport lying next to the road and stopped the pursuit to deliver medical attention.

Several people who live in the area stated that Davenport was found on Binney Station Road near the Macoupin-Madison County line. He was later airlifted to St. Louis University Hospital where he died four days later.

On Sept. 24, the truck was found on the side of South Fourth Street in Livingston, about a mile from where Davenport was found. Neighbors there said the truck was searched by Madison County Sheriff’s deputies and ISP troopers and then towed. The truck was stolen from Kansas and the license plates had been altered, according to the Sangamon County release, and weapons were found inside.

The driver of the truck remains at large.

Sangamon County received news on Sept. 25 that Davenport sustained “non-survivable injuries” and sheriff’s office contacted state police and requested an investigation. Davenport died the next day.

Davenport was released from federal prison in May after serving a four-year sentence on a weapons charge.

In the 2020 federal criminal case against Davenport, FBI Agent Tim Flohrschutz said the FBI Kansas City Violent Crime Fugitive Task Force opened an investigation into Davenport for unlawful flight to avoid prosecution on a stolen truck and motorcycle case. While police were looking for Davenport, someone drove a stolen dump truck through the wall of the impound lot and took the impounded pickup and set it on fire.

Davenport was on the lam for a month before he was spotted and arrested by police at a car wash near Kansas City. Police found a loaded 9 mm pistol in his waistband.

The FBI agent’s affidavit stated that Davenport’s criminal history was 76 pages long and included convictions for aggravated escape and felony fleeing and eluding.

Capitol News Illinois is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service that distributes state government coverage to hundreds of news outlets statewide. It is funded primarily by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation.