GALVA, Illinois– Xavier Hartman – the 19-year-old who was shot and killed following a single-car accident in rural Henry County on June 19 – had previously been convicted of “mob action” from an incident in which he and three other suspects battered another teen.
According to Galva police, Hartman was one of four individuals arrested in June 2017 for the attack which required the assault victim to receive medical treatment. The initial charge was a Class 4 felony. It was later reduced to a Class A misdemeanor, for which Hartman was sentenced to two-years probation, meaning Hartman was currently on probation when the June 19 accident occurred. This information can be found as public record, here.
According to the Henry County Sheriff’s Department, there was an altercation between Hartman and 58-year-old Jim Love, who is currently in jail and charged with first degree murder for shooting Hartman in the leg, killing him. Love also sustained head injuries in the altercation, according to the sheriff’s department report.
In addition to Hartman’s June 2017 arrest, court records show his mother, Melissa Kelly, filed an emergency order of protection against him on January 16, 2018. That order was subsequently vacated on February 27, 2018.
In an interview with WQAD on Monday, June 25, Kelly said she didn’t know what may have transpired between Love and her son, but she does know “nobody helped” Xavier.
“Make sure the man is actually convicted,” Kelly said. “He took a life. It doesn’t matter how much jail time that man gets. It will never give me back my son.”
Love has no prior criminal record. His next day in court is July 17.
