City of Carbondale Police Department

06/12/2026

NEWS RELEASE
City of Carbondale, Illinois
June 12, 2026}
For Immediate Release
CARBONDALE –On June 12, 2026, at 1:32 a.m., City of Carbondale Police Officers stopped a vehicle in the 600 block of East Grand Avenue for a traffic violation. During the stop, officers learned the passenger, Kelby LT Willis, 20, of Carbondale, was wanted on warrants out of Georgia for Failure to Appear on charges of Robbery, False Imprisonment, Battery-Family, and Cruelty to Children in the 3rd Degree.

During the investigation, officers recovered a firearm from the vehicle. The investigation revealed both Willis and the driver, Tereasa D Brinson, 34 of Carbondale, had both been unlawfully in possession of the firearm. Willis was arrested for Armed Habitual Offender and the warrants out of Georgia. Brinson was arrested for Unlawful Possession of a Weapon and Accountability of Conduct by Another. Willis and Brinson were incarcerated in the Jackson County Jail pending detention hearings. Anyone with information about the incident is encouraged to contact the police department at the numbers listed below.

Anyone with information about the incident is encouraged to contact the City of Carbondale Police Department at (618) 549-2121. You may also call the Carbondale/SIU Crime Stoppers anonymous tip line at (618) 549-COPS (2677) or the Murphysboro/Jackson County anonymous tip line at (618) 687-COPS (2677). Anonymous tips may also be made by selecting the “Crime Stoppers” tab on this website’s main page. Please help yourself and your county, its communities, and the university campus by using these numbers if you witness or have any information about a crime. Cash rewards for information that leads to an arrest are also made anonymously. Remember, crime doesn’t pay, but Crime Stoppers does!

The mission of the Carbondale Police Department is to work in partnership with our community to preserve life, protect human rights, protect property and improve quality of life by providing police service to all in a fair, sensitive, and professional manner. https://alrt.se/u/k7XxFvsZnZQ

06/12/2026

A big thank you to all of the Carbondale Officers and first responders who helped make Safety Day at the Youth Police Camp a success!

Cadets had the opportunity to learn about gun safety from retired LT Kemp, evidence collection from Crime Scene Specialist, Dan Reed, K-9 handling from Officers Kawasaki, Garden and Moorman, and the Special Response Team, Lt Lattan, Sgt Stewart and Detective Arenas.

The cadets got firsthand look at the important work our public safety professionals do every day.

06/11/2026

Yesterday, morning, local law-enforcement officers joined some special Olympians for the annual law-enforcement torch run for Special Olympics. The cadets at the 2026 Team Illinois Youth Police camp joined in to help to make this a great event. Thanks to SIU Touch Of Nature for hosting this event, along with officers from the Carbondale Police Department, Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, and the Illinois State Police. 

06/11/2026

Tuesday's Jackson County/Carbondale Tornado Response 26 Full-Scale Exercise was a success. Local, regional, and state emergency response partners worked together through a tornado disaster scenario to test emergency plans, communications, resource coordination, damage assessment, shelter operations, and decision-making.

The exercise highlighted strong collaboration among fire, law enforcement, EMS, public health, hospitals, code/inspection services, volunteer organizations, private-sector partners, and supporting regional and state resources. Valuable lessons were learned, strengths were confirmed, and opportunities for improvement were identified to further enhance our preparedness.

Thank you to everyone who participated and helped strengthen Jackson County’s ability to respond to and recover from future emergencies. Together, we are building a safer, more resilient community.

06/09/2026

The first official day of camp is over, and everything is going great. After some early morning workouts and some classroom time, the cadets worked together for team-building exercises courtesy of some awesome soldiers from the US Army. Thank you for your service and for volunteering to be mentors for our cadets and teaching us how to work together.

The meals for the campo so far have been graciously donated by The Taste of Bev (Sunday Dinner), The Elks of Union County (Breakfast All Week), St. Nick's Brewery (Monday Lunch), and
Cold Blooded Brew (Monday Dinner). Thank you to all of the sponsors of the camp. We couldn't hold this camp without the support of our community.

06/07/2026

NEWS RELEASE
City of Carbondale, Illinois
June 7, 2026
For Immediate Release
CARBONDALE – On June 6, 2026, at10:34 p.m., City of Carbondale Police Officers responded to the 600 block of South Forest Street in reference to a gunshot victim. Officers located Jayaire M. Gibbs, 18, of Murphysboro, at the scene with a non-life-threatening gunshot wound. Gibbs was transported to the hospital by ambulance, where he was treated for his injury.

Officers learned Gibbs suffered the gunshot wound while at a gathering of individuals. The investigation revealed that the incident was likely the result of a dispute amongst acquaintances. The suspect had fled the scene before officers arrived and was not located.

Anyone with information about the incident is encouraged to contact the police department at the numbers listed below. The investigation remains active and ongoing.

Anyone with information about the incident is encouraged to contact the City of Carbondale Police Department at (618) 549-2121. You may also call the Carbondale/SIU Crime Stoppers anonymous tip line at (618) 549-COPS (2677) or the Murphysboro/Jackson County anonymous tip line at (618) 687-COPS (2677). Anonymous tips may also be made by selecting the “Crime Stoppers” tab on this website’s main page. Please help yourself and your county, its communities, and the university campus by using these numbers if you witness or have any information about a crime. Cash rewards for information that leads to an arrest are also made anonymously. Remember, crime doesn’t pay, but Crime Stoppers does!

The mission of the Carbondale Police Department is to work in partnership with our community to preserve life, protect human rights, protect property and improve quality of life by providing police service to all in a fair, sensitive, and professional manner. https://alrt.se/u/rvblFQsp4GR

06/05/2026

06/04/2026

NEWS RELEASE
City of Carbondale, Illinois
June 4, 2026
For Immediate Release
CARBONDALE – On June 3, 2026, at 12:24 a.m., City of Carbondale Police Officers responded to a report of shots fired in the 500 block of South Beveridge Street. Officers arrived and learned the suspect was in a group of other juveniles and fired shots at a residence before the group fled northwest on foot. Officers confirmed shots had been fired and a residence received minor damage as a result. During the investigation, a 16-year-old juvenile male from Carbondale confronted one of the officers and threatened to kill the officer. The juvenile resisted the officers’ attempts to arrest him, but he was detained after a brief struggle. During the arrest, officers found the juvenile to be in possession of suspected cannabis. Officers arrested the juvenile for Aggravated Assault to a Peace Officer, Resisting a Peace Officer, and Possession of Cannabis. The juvenile was released to his parent pending a court appearance. In accordance with the Illinois Juvenile Justice Act, the name of the juvenile will not be released. No injuries were reported as a result of the incident. Anyone with information about the incident is encouraged to contact the police department at the numbers listed below. The investigation is active and ongoing.

Anyone with information about the incident is encouraged to contact the City of Carbondale Police Department at (618) 549-2121. You may also call the Carbondale/SIU Crime Stoppers anonymous tip line at (618) 549-COPS (2677) or the Murphysboro/Jackson County anonymous tip line at (618) 687-COPS (2677). Anonymous tips may also be made by selecting the “Crime Stoppers” tab on this website’s main page. Please help yourself and your county, its communities, and the university campus by using these numbers if you witness or have any information about a crime. Cash rewards for information that leads to an arrest are also made anonymously. Remember, crime doesn’t pay, but Crime Stoppers does!

The mission of the Carbondale Police Department is to work in partnership with our community to preserve life, protect human rights, protect property and improve quality of life by providing police service to all in a fair, sensitive, and professional manner. https://alrt.se/u/OYZKtksnL83

06/03/2026

On Friday night, Chief Anthony Copeland, MHA Dr. Laterriea Martin, MHA Bryan Tucker, MHA Jaz Katz, Officer Morgan Penrod, Officer Pawel Sawicki, Officer Jasmine Toliver, and Community Service Officer Alesia Rutherford II visited with the families at the Boys and Girls Club during movie night. Everyone had a great time watching Spider-Man into the Spider-Verse, eating snacks, playing games, and enjoying a night of fellowship.

06/02/2026

Jenna and Ella from SIU's Public Safety Class visited public safety facilities today with cake and cookies. Thank you, Jenna and Ella, for the very thoughtful and very tasty donation.