Questions remain over whether Sangamon County followed policy in deadly pursuit

[October 18, 2024]  By Beth Hundsdorfer

As the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office led a multi-county pursuit last month that ended in the death of a 43-year-old Kansas man, Illinois State Police directed troopers not to participate.

A Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office news release issued a week after Kirtis Shane Davenport’s death stated “various other law enforcement agencies” assisted, but ISP confirmed they did not participate, citing the agency’s pursuit policy.

“At no time was ISP involved in the pursuit that started in Sangamon County on September 22, 2024,” an ISP spokesperson said in response to written questions.

The ISP’s pursuit policy states that a trooper is not to initiate or become involved in pursuits for traffic offenses, non-violent property crimes, whether felony or misdemeanor, or when the suspect flees for unknown reasons.

“Knowing this policy, troopers did not seek to become involved in the pursuit. As a precaution, troopers were reminded over the radio that permission was NOT granted to get involved in the pursuit,” according to the statement.

The Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office policy also states that deputies should not pursue based solely on those same criteria. Sheriff Paula Crouch – who was named sheriff just four days prior to the incident – declined to comment on whether the truck was being pursued for other reasons, citing an ongoing investigation.

Capitol News Illinois is suing Sangamon County and its 911 dispatch center for what the news outlet believes to be an improper denial of its request for records of the pursuit.

Just before midnight on Sept. 22, the sheriff’s department responded to an alarm at Hall’s Cycles near Springfield. The business owner reported several motorcycles had been stolen. A witness provided a description of a white Dodge Ram pickup truck that had been parked outside at the time of the break-in. Two hours later, deputies spotted a truck matching that description with a motorcycle in the bed and attempted to pull the vehicle over. When the driver refused to stop, they gave chase.

Though the speed, route and duration of the pursuit has not been released, Sangamon County has stated the pursuit went south on Interstate 55 from Sangamon County through Macoupin and Montgomery counties before ending outside of Staunton when pursuing deputies found Davenport lying next to the road. He was airlifted to St. Louis University Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.

Initially, sources stated Davenport was found in Madison County, but in the area where Davenport was found four counties’ borders are within a mile of each other – Madison, Macoupin, Bond and Montgomery.

After it was determined that Davenport would not survive, Sangamon County contacted the ISP to investigate the pursuit as an officer-involved death. In a statement to Capitol News Illinois denying a request for records related to the pursuit, ISP stated it is actively investigating and awaiting reports.

Kirtis Shane Davenport (Photo provided)

“Interviews with involved officers are still pending,” according to the ISP’s statement denying a Freedom of Information Act request seeking records regarding the pursuit.

In addition, police are still trying to locate the driver of the Dodge Ram, which was reported stolen out of Kansas. The abandoned truck was discovered on Sept. 23 in Livingston – about six miles from where Davenport was found.

“Once the initial investigation has been completed, the case file must be submitted to the Montgomery County State’s Attorney for review,” ISP’s FOIA denial stated.

The Sangamon County Sheriff’s deputy who engaged in the pursuit and the sergeant who authorized it remain on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation.

Cori Shanks said she last saw Davenport at about 4 p.m. on Sept. 22 in her backyard in Kansas City. A few hours later and more than 300 miles away, the alarm would sound at the Springfield motorcycle dealer.

Shanks said she received a text from the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office the next day, asking her to call them about Davenport. She feared he was back in jail – he had a criminal record – but was told it was much worse. She was told that her fiancé was in a St. Louis hospital in the intensive care unit.

Doctors said Davenport, the father of three, had a catastrophic brain injury, a punctured lung and a devasting cervical spine injury.

“There was no brain activity, nothing. So, the kids went to the hospital to say their goodbyes,” she said.

Davenport had some previous scrapes with the law, even serving some time in prison, but Shanks said he was well-loved by those who knew him and tried to see the best in everyone.

“Sometimes that was a curse, because people would say they were his friends and they were just using him,” she said.

Shanks still doesn’t know how Davenport wound up on the side of a country road in Illinois, hundreds of miles from Kansas City, Kansas where he lived with Shanks.

“They aren’t telling us anything. That’s the hardest part,” Shanks said. “It just doesn’t make any sense.”

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.