First Place Investigative Reporting
Originally Published June 24, 2016
The article below was part of a months-long series that won "Best Investigative Reporting" and led to Farmer City's dismissal of their police chief.
FARMER CITY -- One week after a juvenile vandalism incident occurred in Farmer City during the town’s summer festival, a report was sent to the state’s attorney’s office, documents show.
The vandalism incident in question left a 2006 work truck owned by CDAC Amusements – the carnival operator utilized by the town – totaled with damages of $12,571.60.
The incident occurred on June 3, and on June 7, Farmer City Police Chief Andrew Denno gave a press release regarding a station adjustment that was performed that evening pending review from the state’s attorney’s office.
On the same afternoon, the incident was omitted from the police blotter provided to the Press weekly, and the Press requested the full police report through Freedom of Information Act.
Three days after Denno’s press release and seven days after the initial interaction, the incident report was hand delivered to the state’s attorney’s office at 10:54 a.m. on June 10, according to documents. The delivery of the report occurred hours before the police department received documentation that the work truck was totaled, per the report.
The initial report is dated June 3 at 11:37 p.m. The first documented narrative report by a Farmer City Officer came from Peter Hahnstadt and is dated June 9, 2016 at 6:02 a.m. The report was released to the Press on June 9 at 7:34 a.m.
Hahnstadt’s report details that a 15-year-old juvenile was caught breaking into a carnival concession stand owned by CDAC Inc. The juvenile was found in possession of a spare tire key that was missing from the work truck which was later declared totaled, connecting the juvenile to that crime as well, per the report.
Hahnstadt’s report detailed that the juvenile was released to parents after the initial arrest after admitting to the vandalism and arrested again just hours later at about 2 a.m. Hahnstadt stated that the juvenile claimed not to remember his home phone number, but Officer David Ballard knew the juvenile’s address from prior dealings with the suspect.
Officer Josh McClain also responded to the incident on June 3. His narrative report is dated June 9 at 6:28 a.m., 26 minutes after Hahnstadt’s, and it details a foot pursuit required to catch the juvenile during the second arrest.
“After the necessary paperwork had been completed, Sgt. Brown asked me to ask Mr. (Donny) Pusey (another of the truck’s owners) if he again would like to press charges or would like the incident handled another way. Mr. Pusey told me that he didn’t care; and that he just wanted his truck fixed. I told Mr. Pusey that is was his decision,” McClain’s report reads.
McClain’s report then details that a meeting was set for the following day between all parties and he began to finish up some paperwork.
Shortly after, Sergeant Travis Brown reported via radio that he had observed the juvenile running around with another area youth, per the report. McClain’s report said he then left the office to help Brown locate the minors.
McClain said he found the juvenile hiding in a bush before the juvenile fled, so McClain gave chase, eventually finding the suspect hiding behind a playhouse at a neighbor’s home. McClain said he ordered the juvenile to come out, and this time the suspect complied and was taken into custody.
McClain said the juvenile’s parents were recalled to the station and he was once again released into their custody.
According to the report, all parties arrived to discuss the matter the next day, and by that time Pusey had changed his mind and wanted to press charges.
“Ofc. Ballard then told Mr. Pusey that the parents wanted to pay for the damages and were willing to make it right. That seemed to appease Mr. Pusey,” McClain said in the report.
A supplement from Brown was added to the report on June 10 approximately eight hours after the report was hand-delivered to the state’s attorney’s office, per the documents.
Brown’s report said he spoke to Pusey and was informed that the truck was declared totaled. He later confirmed that with State Farm and documented the information.
A final supplement was added by Officer Ballard on June 11 at 3:30 p.m, and it said Farmer City was informed of the extent of the damages on June 8.
Ballard’s report details verbal altercations between the juvenile and the stepfather that was called to the station to collect the juvenile. It also said the step-father showed interest in paying for damages to avoid charges.
“I told Pusey that I would try to get the parents to pay to get to have the truck cleaned if he was willing not to press charges so the parents would understand it was in their best interest. Pusey was asked several times if he wanted to press charges or did he want the truck cleaned. Pusey stated he wanted the truck cleaned,” Ballard said in the document.
Ballard’s report then said the police department received an estimate from the Pusey family on June 8 regarding the $12,000-plus in damages.
Ballard said he called the juvenile’s father on June 10, and he had not responded by June 11. Ballard said he contacted the juvenile’s mother and step-father on June 11, detailing that a report would be sent to the state’s attorney’s office.
The full report was then submitted to the state’s attorney on June 14, per documents received.
Juvenile Officer
Only one Farmer City police officer – part-time school resource officer Lara Davis – is a certified Juvenile Specialist Officer.
Davis received training in the 40-hour course run through the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board.
State statute says station adjustments can be levied at the discretion of a juvenile officer:
“In deciding whether to impose a station adjustment, either informal or formal, a juvenile police officer shall consider the following factors:
(A) The seriousness of the alleged offense.
(B) The prior history of delinquency of the minor.
(C) The age of the minor.
(D) The culpability of the minor in committing the alleged offense.
(E) Whether the offense was committed in an aggressive or premeditated manner.
(F) Whether the minor used or possessed a deadly weapon when committing the alleged offenses.”
At Monday’s city council meeting, Denno gave no comment to the council regarding how station adjustments are utilized in Farmer City.
He also noted that all other juvenile training is “obtained during Basic Law Enforcement Training Program,” although that does not constitute specialization as a Juvenile Officer.