Prisoner At Juvenille Detention Center Gets A Hold Of Gun, Holds Woman Hostage, Police Take Him Out With An AR-15

On Sept. 30, an armed 17-year-old died after being shot by a Springfield police officer at the Sangamon County Juvenile Center.

I met with Springfield Chief of Police Ken Scarlette on Thursday to discuss what took place. On Saturday, several law enforcement agencies responded to a 911 call of an active shooter at the Sangamon County Juvenile Center.

According to Scarlette, the 17-year-old was an inmate of the Sangamon County Juvenile Center, had a firearm, and tried to leave the facility.

Scarlette said the suspect fired four shots inside the building and took a female inmate hostage.

Scarlette said multiple departments responded to this call, including the Springfield Police Department. They arrived at the scene roughly two and a half minutes following the initial call.

Two Springfield officers made a plan to enter the building. One officer was a new recruit, who was being trained. The other was a veteran officer who is a member of the emergency response team who was familiar with active shooter training, said Scarlette.

The veteran officer went to the trunk of the squad car and grabbed a department-issued AR-15.

Scarlette said the door opened quickly, and the hostage was directly in tow behind the suspect and under verbal control. As officers fired shots, the suspect was struck and fell backwards. Scarlette said he was brandishing a handgun.

The suspect was transported to HSHS St. John’s Hospital in Springfield, where he was later pronounced dead. The hostage was treated for a leg injury and released later. The two officers are now on restricted duty, which can provide mental and emotional well-being relief.

The injured suspect was taken by ambulance to HSHS St. John’s Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.

All SPD officers involved in the incident have been cleared by the Sangamon County State’s Attorney’s Office.