Officer Shoots Armed Fleeing Suspect in Rantoul, Illinois

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Rantoul, Illinois — On June 7, 2023, at approximately 12:27 p.m., Rantoul Police Officer Rene Wissel located a vehicle in the 400 Block of Campbell Avenue, Rantoul, which had previously fled from officers in April. As Officer Wissel was exiting his vehicle, the driver, 20-year-old Jheremia McKown, exited and a consensual conversation ensued. As Officer Wissel continued to speak with McKown he noted a large amount of cannabis packaged in several different bags inside the vehicle. At this time, the front-seat passenger, 18year-old Jordan Richardson, exited and began running from the vehicle. Besides McKown and Richardson, there were no other occupants in the vehicle. As Richardson was running, Officer Wissel observed a gun fall to the ground. Richardson turned around, picked up the gun, and then ran southbound through the residential area. As other officers arrived in the area, Sergeant Jerry King located Richardson running in the 400 block of Belle Avenue.
As Richardson was running, Sergeant King observed that Richardson was armed with a handgun. The suspect fell to the ground and turned toward Sergeant King with the gun still in his hand. Sergeant King shot and struck Richardson with one round. After Richardson’s gun was secure, aid was rendered to him by officers and AMT Ambulance. Richardson was transported to Carle Foundation Hospital, where he later died. As Richardson was running from the vehicle, he dropped the gun three separate times. However, he stopped each time and picked the gun back up and continued running. Prior to Sergeant King shooting, police officers issued eight warnings to Jordan Richardson to either “stop” or “drop the weapon.” The handgun in Richardson’s possession of was reported stolen from Colorado Springs, CO on May 20, 2023 McKown was arrested on multiple charges including Unlawful Use/Possession of a Weapon and Delivery of Cannabis. McKown struck Officer Wissel in the face, causing minor injuries that require further medical attention. Officers located two loaded handguns inside the vehicle, a large amount of cannabis packaged for delivery, and a large amount of currency.