A local man has been found guilty of a number of felonies connected with an incident that occurred last January in Carbondale.
State's Attorney Mike Carr says a jury has found Devin D. Brooks, 27, of Marion guilty of one count of unlawful use of weapons by a felon, one count of defacing identification marks of a firearm, one count of aggravated battery and one count of obstructing a peace officer.
According to Carr, during the early morning hours of Jan. 11, Carbondale Police were dispatched to a convenience store located on East Walnut Street in Carbondale after receiving a report that a person had pulled a firearm on another person in front of the business. While en route to the scene, a police officer observed a male running away from the crime scene, where it was later learned that the defendant had just battered a customer.
The officer parked his vehicle and began a foot pursuit, identifying himself as a police officer and ordering the male to stop running. Because he continued to run, Brooks was charged with obstructing justice. He eventually gave up and was taken into custody. Another officer who had joined in the pursuit identified the male as Brooks. Other officers retraced the route taken by Brooks and located a Ruger 9mm pistol with the serial number removed near the path Brooks had taken. A 9 mm live cartridge was also found in the area where the gun was first pulled out. Brooks had previously been convicted of a felony.
After the verdict was returned, Brooks was remanded to the custody of the Jackson County Sheriff pending sentencing. A sentencing date has not yet been set. His bond has been revoked.
