Granite City man charged with murder in death of Illinois sheriff’s deputy
A Granite City man has been charged with two counts of murder and other charges in connection with the death of a Knox County Sheriff’s deputy who was struck by a vehicle that was fleeing police officers.
The 34-year-old deputy, Nicholas Weist, was setting up “spike strips” north of Galesburg in an effort to slow the suspect’s vehicle when Weist was fatally struck on Friday, authorities said.
Daylon K. Richardson, 22, of Granite City, was arrested after his vehicle crashed in a field near where Weist was struck, police said.
Along with murder counts, Richardson was charged with unlawful possession of a weapon by a felon and aggravated fleeing and eluding, according to a news release from the Illinois State Police.
“The State Police extend our heartfelt prayers, support and love to the Knox County deputy’s family, friends and the Knox County Sheriff’s Office. There is no safety or justice without the law, there is no law without law enforcement, and there is no law enforcement without brave souls like this Knox County deputy,” Illinois State Police Director Brendan Kelly said in a statement.
Kelly, the former state’s attorney for St. Clair County, said his agency and others will work to “pursue maximum justice under the law.”
Weist joined the Knox County Sheriff’s Department in May 2018 as a road deputy, according to a statement by Knox County Sheriff David L. Clague.
Clague said other officers made life-saving measures, but Weist died at the scene.
About 8 a.m. Friday, police officers responded to a 911 call of a suspect with a gun at Circle K gas station on East Main Street in Galesburg, which is northwest of Peoria.
“Officers were able to locate the suspect vehicle and attempted to make a traffic stop,” Clague said in a news release. But the vehicle did not stop and the driver continued traveling north on U.S. 150.
Weist was fatally hit as he began setting up the spikes at the intersection of U.S. 150 at 150th Avenue in nearby Henry County north of Galesburg.
Richardson was arrested after a brief foot pursuit after his vehicle crashed. He was being held in the Henry County Jail with no bond.
The Galesburg Register-Mail reported that Illinois State Police Capt. Christopher Endress said Richardson had previous charges of unlawful possession of a weapon by a felon, aggravated fleeing and mob action in Southern Illinois.
Madison County online records show that a Daylon Richardson had those charges pending against him. The mob action charge was filed in connection with a Pontoon Beach case in July 2020 and the other two charges were filed in connection with a Granite City case in March.
This story was originally published April 30, 2022 at 8:20 PM.
