Deputy Shot: Joliet Man Charged With Attempted Murder

GRUNDY COUNTY, IL — A deputy shot multiple times during a traffic stop Thursday evening was in stable condition, and the Grundy County Sheriff's Office said a Joliet teen is in custody in connection with the shooting following a manhunt. The deputy was shot near Mazon, about eight miles south of Morris.

Demarcus Denwiddie, 18, of Joliet, now faces multiple felonies, including six counts of attempted murder, three counts of aggravated discharge of a gun and three counts of aggravated battery. On Friday, his bond was set at $10 million, and he "is being held in a separate, undisclosed, detention facility outside of Grundy County."

Police said Denwiddie also suffered a gunshot wound to the arm, although Sheriff Ken Briley said the deputy told officials he did not fire his weapon.

Grundy County Sheriff Ken Briley said Deputy Tyler Post attempted to pull a vehicle over just after 5 p.m. Thursday on Route 47 near Mazon when the driver fled, crashing into a ditch before driving out, going around another car, and then crashing again near the railroad crossing at Grand Ridge Road.

The driver, later identified as Denwiddie, of Raynor Avenue in Joliet, ran away on foot. As the duputy chased him, Briley said the Joliet teen fired multiple shots, striking Post once in the left forearm. Two additional shots, which hit him in the chest and back, were stopped by the deputy's ballistic vest, Briley said at a press conference.

"We’re very, very lucky that the ballistic vest stopped those two bullets," Briley said, adding Post was able to give a description of the shooter over his radio and tell other officers which direction he went. The deputy was also able to put a tourniquet on his arm to stop the bleeding, and was assisted when Mazon Fire Chief Mark Brookman II arrived at the scene.

Post was taken to Morris Hospital, where Briley said he was in good spirits and was with his family and significant other. Briley said the deputy is in his mid-20s and is a K-9 handler who has been with the sheriff's office for about five years.

Police sent a notification to Mazon residents in the area to stay inside, lock their doors and call 911 if they spotted anything suspicious.

After the shooting, Briley said, Will County Deputy Jim Reilly arrived at the scene to help secure the perimeter, spotted a vehicle speeding away, and made a traffic stop. A female driver "was either coming to pick (the shooter) up or knew he was in the area," Briley said.

Police said she was cooperative and was taken into custody on an outstanding warrant.

Police took Denwiddie into custody at an apartment on Depot Street after a negotiator was able to talk him into coming outside and surrendering. Briley said he did not know Denwiddie's connection to Mazon and whether he broke into an apartment or someone allowed him in. He also said the gun used to shoot the deputy has not been recovered, adding it could be in an apartment.

Police said Denwiddie also had a gunshot wound to his left arm and was taken to a local hospital for treatment.

"Grundy County is a great community to live in," Briley said. "We’re glad that we were able to end this peacefully and that none of our residents got hurt."

Illinois State Police are investigating the incident and will be interviewing the female driver, Briley said.

Grundy County was assisted by the Will County SWAT Team, hostage negotiators, the Illinois State Police and local neighboring law enforcement agencies, he said.

"Deputy Tyler Post is in good spirits, surrounded by his family, and is expected to make a full recovery," the sheriff's office said. "Thank you for your kind words, thoughts, prayers and support for his fast recovery during this time."