A Thursday arrest in the south suburb of Harvey has landed a Chicago-area man in custody in connection with a downstate shooting, authorities say. Investigators identified the suspect as 24-year-old Dashaun Parks, wanted in relation to a Bloomington case that led to a warrant out of McLean County. Cook County Sheriff's detectives, working alongside federal task-force partners, say they developed the leads that pointed them to Parks. Officials have released few details about the Bloomington shooting that sparked the investigation.
How he was located and arrested
Detectives with the Cook County Sheriff's Fugitive Apprehension Unit set up surveillance in Harvey after receiving information from federal partners, according to law-enforcement accounts. When officers stopped a vehicle under surveillance, they identified Parks as a passenger and took him into custody without incident. The sheriff's office credited a coordinated, multi-jurisdiction investigation with locating the suspect, as reported by FOX 32 Chicago.
Federal task force involvement
The Central Illinois U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force requested assistance from Cook County investigators in tracking down Parks, according to law-enforcement accounts. The U.S. Marshals' Great Lakes Regional Fugitive Task Force frequently teams up with local agencies on out-of-county warrants and fugitive hunts. That task-force model combines federal and local resources to follow leads across jurisdictions and bring in suspects; see the U.S. Marshals Great Lakes Regional Fugitive Task Force for background.
What he's charged with
Parks was wanted on a McLean County warrant issued May 28 charging aggravated discharge of a firearm, the sheriff's office said. That warrant ties back to a shooting in Bloomington, but prosecutors and police have not provided further public details about the incident or any victims. Officials did not immediately say whether Parks would be transferred to McLean County for booking, as reported by FOX 32 Chicago.
What the charge can mean
Under Illinois law, aggravated discharge of a firearm covers knowingly firing a gun in a manner that endangers people or property and is codified in the Criminal Code (720 ILCS 5/24-1.2). The statute includes enhancements when the discharge causes serious injury or death, and penalties vary with the facts of the case and a defendant's prior record. More on the statute is available from the Illinois General Assembly.
Parks remained in Cook County custody pending processing and any transfer requests from McLean County. Anyone with information about the Bloomington shooting is asked to contact investigators through the sheriff's office.
