A Kewanee man faces numerous felony and misdemeanor drug and weapons charges after police were called to a disturbance at Walmart Tuesday night.
Police Chief Stephen Kijanowski released this report on the arrest:
At approximately 8:45 p.m., police received a complaint of an individual brandishing a firearm towards another individual at Walmart. Officers were dispatched and provided with a description of the suspect and the vehicle in which the suspect was seen leaving from the Walmart parking lot.
Officers located the suspect’s vehicle in the 300 block of East South Street. The suspect, who was in the passenger seat, briefly exited the vehicle before re-entering the passenger side. The vehicle then fled the scene, prompting officers to initiate a pursuit.
The pursuit concluded in the 300 block of May Street, where the suspect abandoned the vehicle and fled on foot into the Fairview Apartment complex.
After a short foot chase, officers apprehended the suspect, identified as Jacques Nile, 24, of Kewanee, in the complex.
Officers recovered a backpack belonging to Nile. A search of the backpack revealed a loaded .40 caliber Glock pistol, which was later determined to be stolen.
Officers also found 66 pills identified as alprazolam, a digital scale with suspected cocaine residue, a yellow T-shirt matching the description of Nile’s clothing during the incident at Walmart, and $9,262 in cash.
The driver of the vehicle was also arrested and questioned about the incident. The driver advised that Jacques Nile had assaulted her by hitting and choking her while inside the car, prior to the police attempt to stop them.
The driver, who was released without charges, also said Nile had threatened her not to stop during the police chase. Nile was transported to the Henry County Jail.
On Tuesday, the Henry County State’s Attorney’s office charged Nile with being an armed habitual criminal (Class X Felony), armed violence (Class X felony), possession of a stolen firearm (Class 2 felony), unlawful possession of a firearm without FOID (Class 3 felony), unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon (Class 3 felony), unlawful possession of ammunition without a FOID (Class A misdemeanor), aggravated domestic battery (Class 2 felony), aggravated unlawful restraint (Class 3 felony), unlawful restraint (Class 4 felony), two counts of domestic battery (Class A misdemeanor), resisting a peace officer (Class A misdemeanor), unlawful possession of a controlled substance (Class 4 felony), and unlawful possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver (Class 3 felony).
A Class X felony carries a potential sentence of 6 to 30 years in state prison. Nile is presumed innocent.
