CHAMPAIGN – An armed man was arrested Saturday night blocks away from the University of Illinois.
According to the University of Illinois Police Department press release, an officer heard a radio communication that an officer in a neighboring jurisdiction had heard gunshots about a mile north of campus. The officer strategically parked his patrol car between that location and the campus area in an attempt to intercept any vehicles that might have been leaving the area of the shooting and heading toward campus.
“Within about three minutes, the officer saw a vehicle traveling at a high speed from the area of the shooting. The driver of the vehicle disobeyed a red light and failed to signal at least two turns. The officer attempted to stop the vehicle in the 300 block of East White Street, Champaign, for the traffic violations.” The Department stated in a press release.
“A man, later identified as Richard E. Frazier, 20, of Champaign, exited the vehicle from the passenger side and ran from the stop as the car pulled over. The officer caught up to Frazier in the 300 block of East Springfield Avenue, Champaign, about two blocks from where the foot chase began. Believing that Frazier had just fled from a shooting and may have been armed, the officer drew his firearm and stopped Frazier at gunpoint.”
Frazier reportedly complied throwing his handgun and magazine to the side and was taken into custody. Officers later found two additional handgun magazines inside a fanny pack Frazier had on him.
Frazier was arrested aggravated unlawful use of a weapon, resisting a police officer and illegal possession of cannabis in a motor vehicle for a small amount of marijuana that was also in the fanny pack.
