Convicted felon in Springfield arrested on firearms charges

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WCIA) — A convicted felon was arrested on five separate charges Wednesday afternoon including aggravated unlawful use of a weapon.

On Oct. 9, at approximately 3:20 p.m., members of the Springfield Police Department Street Crimes Unit responded to a report of a subject in a brown sweatshirt waving around a firearm.

The incident was reported to have taken place at the 300 block of S. Glenwood Ave. When officers arrived, they observed a male matching the description they received.

LeMarcus D. Yates, 20, of Springfield, was arrested for unlawful possession of a weapon by a convicted felon, possession of a firearm-no foid, aggravated unlawful use of a weapon on person, resisting arrest and a Sangamon County warrant for failing to appear on a burglary case.

When officers first approached Yates, he attempted to hide behind a vehicle. When the police made contact with him, they noticed he was concealing a large object in his clothing.

Yates then ran from officers and tossed a firearm from his clothing as he fled the scene. The gun was collected, and the subject was apprehended and taken into custody.

He is currently in custody at the Sangamon County Jail. No further information is available at this time.

Anyone with information on this incident can call the Springfield PD at 217-788-8311 or the Sangamon/Menard County Crime Stoppers at 217-788-8427.

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