A Sangamon County judge on Friday sentenced Cristobal Santana to 95 years in prison for shooting and beating Illinois State Police Trooper Dakotah Chapman-Green during a traffic stop in Springfield. The sentence, handed down April 3, 2026, follows a conviction last August on counts that included attempted first-degree murder. Santana, a Chicago resident, also remains accused in a separate Cook County homicide investigation. Trooper Chapman-Green survived the attack and has since returned to duty.
What happened
The October 24, 2023, traffic stop began after a license-plate reader tied Santana's vehicle to an alleged Chicago homicide. State police say the encounter escalated in seconds when Santana opened fire, struck the trooper multiple times, and then beat him with a handgun, causing skull and facial fractures, a brain bleed, and leg injuries, according to Illinois State Police. Surveillance and dashcam footage released in the weeks after the shooting captured the moments shots were fired and the frantic effort to track down and arrest Santana.
Sentence and courtroom
At the April 3 hearing a judge imposed a 95-year term, including 70 years for attempted murder plus 25 years for personally discharging a firearm, the total punishment sought by prosecutors, as reported by WAND. The trooper was in the courtroom for the sentence, and court coverage notes he has returned to duty. The ruling follows a jury conviction in August 2025 and effectively closes the Sangamon County case against Santana.
Legal fallout
Santana is also charged in the killing of Adrianna Lopez in Chicago and faces first-degree murder charges in Cook County, according to ABC7 Chicago. Prosecutors say a license-plate reader hit tied Santana's car to the city homicide and triggered the traffic stop that ultimately led to the Springfield shooting. While the Sangamon County sentence resolves one prosecution, additional proceedings in Cook County remain pending.
Illinois State Police Director Brendan Kelly called the sentence proportionate to the attack and said it "sends a clear message that violence against those who protect our communities will face justice," as quoted by WAND. Family members who attended the hearing described relief at the outcome and said the punishment was deserved. Court filings and video evidence were central to the prosecution's case.
