Bates
CRIME & SAFETY
45-year-old shot and killed in Springfield
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WICS) — A 45-year-old is dead after a shooting in Springfield, according to the Sangamon County Coroner, Jim Allmon. At 11:31 a.m. on Thursday, Springfield Police Department responded to the 700 block of N. 5th Street, for a report of shots fired. As officers arrived on scene...
Sangamon Co. Sheriff addresses hiring practices, dispatcher confusion
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WCIA) — Sangamon County officials have responded to multiple questions Friday about the Sonya Massey case, including whether there was confusion on Sonya Massey’s death being officer-involved or self-inflicted. Officials with the Sheriff’s Office assert they were never confused if the shooting was self-inflicted. The details were unclear in the office’s first news […]
Springfield man faces murder charges after fatal shooting
A man has been charged after a fatal shooting on July 25 in Springfield. Stephen A. Woolridge was taken into custody a day after the shooting and was charged with three counts of first-degree murder. The shooting happened in the 700 block of North Fifth Street around 11 a.m. The victim, 45-year-old...
Springfield pawn shop raided by Attorney General’s Office
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WCIA) — A Springfield pawn shop was served a search warrant on Tuesday as part of an ongoing investigation by the Illinois Attorney General’s Office. WCIA reporters saw investigators at Monster Pawn on McArthur Boulevard carrying items out of the store. While the Attorney General’s Office confirmed that the search warrant was one […]
Springfield man indicted in drowning death of child
A Springfield man has been indicted in the death of a child March 16 who drowned while without adult supervision. Barrett Koches, 7, had been living with foster parents David Yankee and his husband, Michael, for nearly a month. Barrett was found in the family’s backyard pool in the 2300 block of Winnebago Drive.
Sheriff knew of Sean Grayson's arrest history before hiring
SPRINGFIELD, ILL (WICS/WRSP) — We have new details on the deputy who was arrested for shooting Sonya Massey. Sean Grayson is charged with first degree murder. We have learned Sheriff Jack Campbell knew about Grayson's previous brushes with the law and decided to hire him anyway. Sean Grayson has...
Jay Simpson: I'm tired of hearing about innocent Black people killed by law enforcement
Jul. 25—The death of Sonya Massey broke my heart and instantly made me think: What if? What if it was my mother or any other woman in my family? I couldn't even imagine the type of hurt her family is dealing with right now because that woman did not deserve to die whatsoever — especially in that fashion. The way the Sangamon County sheriff's deputies were speaking to her was flat-out ...
Sonya Massey Was the Descendant of William Donnegan, Who Suffered a Similar Fate in 1908
Content Warning: This article mentions police brutality, lynching, and racism. In July 2024, police body cam footage awakened the masses to the fatal shooting of Sonya Massey. The video came several weeks after Massey died of injuries sustained from allegedly being shot three times in the head by former Sangamon County, IL. Deputy Sheriff Sean Grayson. Grayson and his partner responded to a 911 call Massey made after believing an intruder was in her home. Massey, a 36-year-old mother of two, was originally from San Diego, Calif., but lived in Springfield, IL. at the time of her death. Nearly a...
Man convicted for attempting to kill ex-girlfriend in Springfield
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WCIA) — A man has been convicted by a Sangamon County jury for attacking and stalking his ex-girlfriend in 2022. Clarence Hopson was convicted on charges of Attempted First Degree Murder, Home Invasion, Aggravated Domestic Battery and Aggravated Stalking this week according to court records. On November 12, 2022, Hopson used a cinder […]
When 2 Illinois Men Got Lost in the Woods – Something Found Them
It was supposed to be a date with two girls they had met, but for two Illinois men it became something completely different and terrifying. After they became lost in the woods trying to locate the home of the ladies, something found them, but it wasn't what they were hoping for.
Calls for Downstate Sheriff To Step Down After Officer Involved Shooting
The family of woman killed by a Sangamon County Deputy in Springfield say they want to know more about the immediate investigation that surrounded her death and why they were first told that she had possibly been shot by a neighbor or had committed suicide. Sonya Massy's family members say...
FBI Warning Illinois Residents about the Danger of ‘Jugging’
It's important to always be aware of your surroundings and that's never been more important than it is now in our modern era. The FBI is warning Illinois residents about a rise in incidents involving 'jugging'. It's much more dangerous and common than it sounds. It was just reported a...
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