The Champaign Police Department is investigating two incidents from November during which reporting officers fired their guns. According to policy, police Chief Anthony Cobb will soon review the findings he receives from the professional standards office and firearms discharge review board.
In the first shooting on Nov. 17, a pitbull had been attacking another dog, and an officer fired multiple rounds, shooting both dogs and killing the victim dog. In the second on Nov. 20, an officer fired two rounds at the tires of a vehicle being driven by a male suspect of a domestic disturbance.
A third shooting from Sept. 9 is also being investigated by a multi-jurisdictional use of force team, made up of investigators from local police departments, along with Champaign County State’s Attorney Julia Rietz. During the incident, officers shot eight times at suspect Anthony S. Brown, 25, of Champaign, while responding to a home invasion in the 1200 block of Crispus Drive at about 4:48 a.m.
The department has said since September that it will not release the names of the officers; though, the names of the officers involved in the November incidents have already been made public.
In the first incident, officer Andre Davis was the one to fire at the fighting dogs at John Street and Crescent Drive at about 5:23 p.m.
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In the second incident, Sgt. John Schweighart had been responding to a domestic disturbance at the 200 block of West Colombia Avenue at about 4 p.m. Officers had been told a male suspect was trying to pull a woman from a second floor window.
Michael Glover, 45, of Charleston, had allegedly been trying to pull out a woman from a second floor window. Glover then allegedly used a crowbar to break a vehicle’s window, and he and another male subject then attempted to flee.
According to a witness, Glover had been aggressively backing out toward Schweighart, who was standing by the car. Schweighart then fired at the car tires to slow them down.
The two later crashed the vehicle, and both subjects were located. Glover was arrested and the passenger was questioned and released without charges.
