A man being held in connection with the shooting of a Danville police officer has a long criminal record and has claimed legal insanity, reports indicate.
The Knox County Sheriff’s Department reported this morning said Herschel Ray Jones III is being held after the slaying death late Sunday night of Danville police officer Thomas Cottrell.
About 20 minutes after police received a call from a woman claiming her ex-boyfriend wanted to kill an officer, Cottrell’s body was found behind the village’s municipal building, reports indicated.
According to reports, at approximately 1:36 am the suspect was observed running from a residence on East Washington St. After a short foot chase the suspect, identified as Herschel Jones III, was taken into custody by officers in the area of the Danville Park. A female that was discovered outside of the residence was interviewed by officers and later released.
Officers from the Knox County Sheriff’s Office and BCI are investigating the incident.
Reports indicated that BCI was investigating Jones’ residence in Danville this afternoon.
According to Knox County court records, Jones, 32, has been convicted for breaking and entering, burglary, receiving stolen property and carrying a concealed weapon. He has been sentenced three times and was most recently charged in October 2015 with illegally possessing a firearm, felony assault and attempted rape.
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Wire reports contributed to this story.