Police: Suspect who died in police custody dragged LeRoy officer

DECATUR, Ill. (WAND) - Police said a person who died while in police custody following a multi-county pursuit Sunday night first dragged an officer along the pavement.

LeRoy Police Chief Jason Williamson said police identified a suspicious vehicle around several gas stations in LeRoy Sunday night around 10:30 p.m. Officers stopped the vehicle on I-74 near the LeRoy exit for "violations of the Illinois Vehicle Code." Williamson did not identify the violations or indicate what suspicious activity alerted officers.

The driver has since been identified by the Logan County Coroner has 66-year-old Richard Saunders of Guttenberg, Iowa.

WAND News first inquired with Illinois State Police on Monday morning after receiving a tip about a vehicle pursuit in DeWitt and Logan counties. ISP returned messages Tuesday morning and said troopers helped with a pursuit out of LeRoy involving a suspect wanted for aggravated battery against a peace officer.

Williamson said while the vehicle was stopped on I-74 that Saunders did not exit the vehicle when ordered by police. Officers then attempted to remove Saunders from the vehicle for driving with a revoked license. But Williamson said Saunders took off and dragged an officer several yards before falling from the vehicle to the pavement.

The officer was treated and released from the hospital and Williamson said the officer remains off-duty while recovering. They are expected to return to work next week. The name of the officer has not been released.

ISP Spokeswoman Sgt. Melissa Albert-Lopez told WAND News the pursuit ended in Logan County on Illinois 54, although the department has not said exactly where everything ended or how long the pursuit lasted.

Albert-Lopez said after the pursuit that a person was taken into custody who "suffered a possible medical emergency." ISP previously said Saunders was taken to a hospital by ambulance where he was pronounced dead.

The coroner said Saunders died around 12:30 am. Monday, approximately two hours after his first encounter with police. A cause of death has not been released but toxicology results are pending.

Albert-Lopez said during the pursuit a trooper's car was damaged by Saunders' vehicle. No troopers were hurt, according to ISP.

WAND News has requested any police camera video from ISP and the LeRoy Police Department. The requests are still pending under Illinois' Freedom of Information Act.

This is a developing story.