Northern Illinois man guilty of multiple charges

MARION - A Williamson County jury last week found Alan L. Shields, 33, of northern Illinois, guilty of one count of aggravated battery to a police officer, one count of threatening a public official, and one count of aggravated battery to a correctional officer, stemming from a February 2018 arrest in Marion.

On Feb. 18, officers responded to a disturbance on the corner of Monroe and Goodall streets in Marion. Shields was identified by officers and was placed under arrest for an active warrant out of Jackson County. A struggle ensued and Shields spit on one of the arresting officers. Direct threats were also made to officers during transport to the Williamson County Jail, where Shields bit one of the correctional officers, causing an injury that required several stitches.

Shields will be sentenced on Aug. 17.

The investigation was handled by the Marion Police Department and Williamson County Jail Correctional Officers. Assistant State's Attorney Kacey Eisenhauer led the prosecution of this case.

"Anytime our officers' lives or well-being is put into question, we stop at nothing to get justice," said Williamson County State's Attorney Brandon Zanotti. "I want to commend officers for handling themselves in a proper and respectable manner during the arrest and jail confinement. I also want to commend Assistant State's Attorney Eisenhauer on a job well done in her first jury trial and conviction. We take these matters very seriously and we stand by our officers who work hard to protect us all. We are grateful to the jury for performing their civic duty and reaching this just result."