The McDonough County Voice
Editor s note: A previous version of this story mistakenly omitted a response from State s Attorney Matt Kwacala. His comments have been added to the story.
McDONOUGH COUNTY A resident who was arrested on March 2, held for 20 hours and then released by the State’s Attorney without any charges is alleging local police racially profiled her and her husband and violated their rights.
“I will never forget this, because it was my husband’s birthday,” Magen Kelly said.
Kelly, who is Black, said in interviews with the Voice that she and husband Corey Kelly, a multi-ethnic war veteran, were racially profiled and targeted for what the police report described as a “random registration check” as they made their way home through Macomb. She called dispatch twice, asking for a supervisor after they were stopped. During the calls, she expressed fear for her safety.
Here s how other Kewanee-size towns handle their animal control issues
Star Courier
The American Pet Products Association estimates there are 90 million dogs in the U.S., and in Kewanee, if you follow the daily police reports, it may seem like they re all running loose in a backyard near you.
In fact, in 2019 Kewanee residents called upon their highly trained police more than 700 times to make sure Fluffy and Spike were returned home safely. Rarely a day goes by in the Kewanee police report that an officer isn t called for a dog-at-large or some other animal complaint.
But Kewanee isn t the only central Illinois town to have animal issues or to develop its own unique strategy to address them, with each town s system created with limited resources and the intent of freeing up officers as much as possible to focus on law enforcement.
Racial Justice Group in Macomb Charting Its Course tspr.org - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from tspr.org Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
April 8, 2021
Dispatchers in McDonough County on Monday, April 5th received a 911 call from a female passenger in a sedan leading McDonough County Sheriff Deputies on a chase northbound on US Highway 67. Just after noon on Monday, after committing several traffic violations, the sedan driven by 36-year old Justin W. Patten of Burlington, Iowa sped away from Macomb Police onto US 67. Sheriff’s Deputies continued the pursuit while the female passenger maintained an open phone line with dispatchers. Authorities quickly discovered the same sedan led police on a chase in Knox County earlier that day. Patten, who was wanted by the Iowa Department of Corrections for Escape, turned eastbound on Illinois Route 9 but eventually ran out of gas and took off on foot through a cornfield. He was quickly apprehended by Deputies and transported to the McDonough County Jail and is being held in lieu of bond. The female passenger was treated for her injuries by the Blandinsville Fire Rescue. Pat
Democratic Committee ponders need for oversight mcdonoughvoice.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from mcdonoughvoice.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.