Champaign PD announces new Chief of Police and partnership with University of Illinois
CHAMPAIGN – A Colonel in the Illinois State Police is the new Chief of Police in the city of Champaign. On Wednesday, City Manager Dorothy Ann David announced Timothy T. Tyler will become the new chief on June 6, 2022. Tyler’s starting annual salary will be $180,000. At a Wednesday morning news conference announcing his […]
City of Champaign no longer enforcing underage drinking laws at Campustown bars during pandemic
It’s no secret that some underage students at the University of Illinois like to drink at nearby Campustown bars, and that those under 21 have ample opportunity to violate the law at Campustown bars. But throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the Champaign Police Department has made it even easier for minors to get away with underage […]
Champaign shootings spread to westward neighborhoods over years, fueled by recent surge in gun violence
CHAMPAIGN — Gun violence in Champaign has steadily marched westward over the past three years as shootings have increased in neighborhoods north and south of West Springfield Avenue, especially in or near several apartment complexes, according to a review of police data over the past seven years by CU-CitizenAccess.org. Three of the four top blocks […]
Champaign Chief Of Police Anthony Cobb To Step Down In August
CHAMPAIGN – Champaign Chief of Police Anthony Cobb announced Thursday that he’ll step down from his position. He’s leaving the job to join the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board, where he’ll serve as deputy director. Cobb was appointed in 2012 and has overseen the Champaign Police Department for more than nine years. Before […]
State’s Attorney Says Deadly Force ‘Justified’ In Police Shooting
Editor’s Note: Illinois State Police released videos of the deadly May 19 shootings in Champaign. You can find a synced video of area surveillance cameras and police body cams here. The video is graphic. Viewer discretion is strongly advised. CHAMPAIGN – On the day after Champaign Officer Chris Oberheim’s funeral, Illinois State Police released surveillance […]
Funeral Held For Slain Champaign Police Officer
DECATUR – An estimated 2,000 friends, family and police officers filled a church in Decatur Wednesday for the funeral of Champaign Police Officer Chris Oberheim. He was killed last week while answering a domestic disturbance call. The funeral was closed to the public and the news media. But the public was encouraged to come out […]
Funeral Service And Procession Confirmed For Champaign Officer
CHAMPAIGN – A police officer killed in the line of duty will be laid to rest on Wednesday according to the Champaign Police Department. Officer Chris Oberheim was shot on May 19 during an apartment complex shootout. A second officer, Jeffrey Creel, was wounded by the alleged suspect as the officers responded to a report […]
Wounded Officer Out Of Hospital; Funeral Plans Set For Slain Colleague
CHAMPAIGN – Champaign Police Officer Jeffrey Creel has been released from the hospital, after being wounded by gunfire during the domestic disturbance call, in which fellow Officer Chris Oberheim was killed. Meanwhile, a Decatur funeral home says Oberheim’s funeral will be held next week. Graceland-Fairlawn Funeral Home announced on its website that services will be […]
Police Processional Escorts Body Of Fallen Champaign Officer
CHAMPAIGN – A police processional escorted the body of a slain Champaign police officer from the Champaign county coroner’s office in Urbana to a funeral home in Decatur on Thursday. People lined the processional route in several locations, as the body of 44-year-old Chris Oberheim was taken to Graceland-Fairlawn Funeral Home. One of those locations […]
Procession For Fallen Officer To Begin Thursday at 1pm
URBANA – A procession for fallen Champaign officer Chris Oberheim will wind through Central Illinois on Thursday afternoon. The Champaign Police Department said the procession will begin at 1:00 p.m. at the Champaign County Coroner’s Office on Art Bartell Road in Urbana. It will proceed down Main and Vine Streets to University Avenue. From there […]
Two Dead, Including Champaign Police Officer, After Early Morning Shooting
CHAMPAIGN — A Champaign police officer and a city resident have both died after being shot when police responded to a domestic disturbance early Wednesday morning. 44-year-old Chris Oberheim was one of two officers that responded to a call for assistance on North Neil Street shortly after 3:00 a.m. Wednesday. Champaign Police say when officers […]
Students Demand University Of Illinois Defund And Disarm Campus Police
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign students are calling on the institution to sever ties with the college town’s local police departments and dissolve the university’s own police force. Following the killing of George Floyd by police in Minneapolis and the protests that followed, students at both the U of I’s Urbana and Chicago campuses are […]
Council Endorses Champaign Police Use-Of-Force Changes & Outreach Plan
CHAMPAIGN – Champaign Police say they are making changes in response to concerns raised nationwide about police practices and policies. City Council members endorsed those changes, when they were outlined at a council study session Tuesday night. Chief Anthony Cobb says the latest changes in the department’s use-of-force policy are modeled after recommendations from “8 […]
Hundreds Protest Peacefully In Urbana, Champaign In Response To Killing Of George Floyd
URBANA – Hundreds of protesters took over the streets of downtown Urbana Monday to denounce police brutality against people of color — including the recent killing of George Floyd by police in Minneapolis. A diverse crowd — nearly all wearing masks — gathered outside the Champaign County Courthouse. The peaceful demonstration took place a day […]