Police stop, kill fleeing motorist

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April 7, 2009

BY BRIAN L. HUCHEL The Commercial-News Tue Apr 07, 2009, 08:48 PM CDT

OAKWOOD — A chase across three counties ended Monday night with the shooting of a suspect in a police attack.

The suspect, 23-year-old Ocuwatofunmi O. Kaiyewu, of Missouri City, Texas, led law enforcement on a three-county chase through Douglas and Champaign counties and into Vermilion County where deputies stopped his vehicle on Interstate 74 near Oakwood.

The stop led to a confrontation just before 11 p.m. between officers and Kaiyewu, who was shot after coming after the officers with a machete.

Vermilion County Sheriff Pat Hartshorn confirmed one Vermilion County deputy as well as a Champaign County deputy and an officer for the University of Illinois were involved in the self-defense shooting.

As part of standard policy, all three officers were placed on administrative leave pending an investigation of the shooting by the Illinois State Police.

Hartshorn said no officers were injured in the incident.

The evening’s events began just before 10:30 p.m. Monday in Villa Grove where an officer there pulled over a suspicious vehicle and was assaulted.

The suspect, Kaiyewu, was then pursued by the officer north on Illinois Route 130 to U.S. Route 150 and onto University Avenue in Urbana, according to a joint press release from the sheriff departments in Vermilion and Champaign counties. From there, Kaiyewu fled on the eastbound lanes of Interstate 74 into Vermilion County.

According to county law enforcement, stop sticks were used to halt Kaiyewu on the interstate in the area of Oakwood where he emerged from the vehicle carrying a machete and a knife, the release indicated.

Attempts were made by officers to subdue Kaiyewu using Tasers, but weapons were ineffective.

Kaiyewu at first attempted to flee on foot from the scene, but then turned and faced officers, swinging the machete at them. At that point, officers fired several shots that killed Kaiyewu.

Vermilion County Coroner Peggy Johnson said Kaiyewu was pronounced dead at the scene near the 206 mile marker at 12:10 a.m. Tuesday.

No other information was released in regards to the shooting.

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