ALEDO, Ill. — A rural Illinois police chief was arrested on battery charges over a year after accusations were leveled against him.
According to the Illinois State Police, the Aledo Police Department chief, 62-year-old Christopher Sullivan, was arrested on charges of battery and official misconduct on Monday, Aug. 29.
The incident dates back to June 2021, when ISP launched an investigation into allegations made against Sullivan that accused him of battering a person during an arrest.
After the investigation was completed, ISP determined that it had gathered enough evidence to support arresting Sullivan.
The City of Aledo gave a statement on Sullivan's arrest late Tuesday morning:
"The City of Aledo Administration was made aware that Chris Sullivan was charged with criminal offenses yesterday (8/29). At this time, we are gathering facts to better understand the situation. We will be working with Elected Officials and our legal team to determine the best course of action. We will have more information to share with the public once we complete our information-gathering process."
The Mercer County State's Attorney's Office has requested a special prosecutor, and the Henry County State's Attorney's Office was appointed in response.
Authorities indicted Sullivan on Aug. 22 and set his bond at $10,000. He reportedly surrendered himself to police later that afternoon.
The Mercer County Sheriff's Office told News 8 on Tuesday that Sullivan was released after posting bond. A court date has not been set as of this update.