MACOMB, Ill. — A suspect accused of shooting two Macomb police officers and then prompting a nearly 20-hour standoff was denied pretrial release, court records show.
Since the SAFE-T Act ended cash bail in Illinois last year, whether or not a suspect is detained until trial is now determined by the court and is based on factors like the type of crime or if they're considered likely to re-offend.
38-year-old Shaiking M. Mathis had his first court appearance via Zoom on Friday, Sept. 6. The court found probable cause to keep Mathis detained, according to court documents. A preliminary hearing is set for Sept. 30 at 2 p.m.
Mathis has been charged with four counts of aggravated battery to a police officer and one count of aggravated discharge of a firearm.
Two officers were shot while executing a search warrant in the 300 block of North Normal Street around 6:44 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 4. Macomb Police Chief Jeff Hamer said that after knocking and identifying themselves several times, the officers forced their way into the residence and were immediately shot at by a suspect inside.
Local, state and federal agencies remained at the scene for almost 20 hours before Mathis surrendered around 2 p.m. the next day. Police said Mathis had barricaded himself inside.
Both police officers who were injured in the shooting have been discharged from the hospital and are expected to make a full recovery, according to Hamer. Hamer said the officers were shot in the lower torso and leg.
"The Macomb Police Department wants to express my relief that this incident came to a peaceful conclusion and there were no further injuries," Hamer previously said. "We also would like to thank the community for their patience, understanding, support and generosity as this incident impacted many aspects of our daily lives here in Macomb.
Hamer did not comment when asked if the officers discharged their weapons. A use-of-force investigation is being conducted by the Illinois State Police and all questions related to the investigation should be directed to them, Hamer said. The reason for the initial search warrant has not been disclosed. Court records show Mathis does not have an extensive criminal history in McDonough County, beyond one criminal case last year that has been dismissed.
The incident happened around a block away from Western Illinois University's Macomb campus. Due to the active police presence, the university closed both its Macomb and Quad Cities campuses on Thursday. The university had sent out an alert through its Emergency Alert System about an active shooter near campus around 7:37 p.m. Wednesday.
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