ROCKFORD, Illinois — The father of a man wanted in connection with Saturday's shooting of a Winnebago County Sheriff's deputy wants his son to give himself up to authorities.
Jordan D. Spates, 27, of Rockford is wanted for aggravated battery to a police officer with a firearm, a Class X felony punishable by six to 30 years in prison.
Richard Stephens, a North Rockton Avenue resident who identified himself as Spates' father, said he does not know if his son shot the deputy, but he wants him to turn himself in.
"We all want to talk to him and find out what happened," he said of himself and other family members. "We're all praying that we can get ahold of him so that we or an attorney can go down with him (to the Winnebago County Justice Center) to turn himself in."
Between 1 and 1:30 a.m. Saturday, a deputy spotted and stopped a vehicle that had eluded Rockford police. The deputy made the stop near Prairie Road and South Springfield Avenue.
The driver "jumped out, he ran a couple feet," then turned toward the deputy and fired at least three times, Sheriff Gary Caruana said.
The deputy was shot in the shoulder and back, and the gunman fled on foot.
The shooting sparked a daylong manhunt around Klehm Arboretum & Botanic Garden on the city's south side Saturday, using K-9 units from city, county and Illinois State Police, along with aircraft and officers from numerous police and fire departments.
Detectives investigated the scene and identified Spates as the suspected shooter.
A search of Winnebago County online court records shows Spates has a history of traffic violations including aggravated fleeing police as well as an arrest for possession of a controlled substance.
Police searched the abandoned vehicle and found an undisclosed amount of suspected narcotics. They also executed a search warrant at 1033 S. Court St. and recovered additional suspected narcotics and other evidence.
The investigation also has led to the arrest of 21-year-old Jarrion J. Moore for possession of cocaine with the intent to deliver, resisting arrest and two outstanding warrants.
The deputy, whose name has not been released, is expected to recover.
"He's going to have to undergo a series of surgeries, but he's OK, thank God," Caruana said. "An inch or two either way, it could have been a lot worse."
Anyone with information about Spates is asked to call the Winnebago County Sheriff's Department at 815-282-2600 or CrimeStoppers at 815-963-7867.
Chris Green: 815-987-1241; [email protected]; @chrisfgreen
Kayli Plotner: 815-987-1391; [email protected]; @kayplot
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