Illinois AG still looking into dispatchers in Edgar County case

The Illinois Attorney General released information related to the investigation of two dispatchers following an internal investigation in Edgar County:

The Office of the Illinois Attorney General, in coordination with the Illinois State Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, acknowledges the recent internal investigation conducted by the Edgar County Sheriff's Department regarding the actions of two 911 dispatchers, Lorri Scott and Holly Schwarz, who handled calls on April 3 involving Jaleel Jones and Tajon King.

The Sheriff's Department's internal review concluded that the dispatchers "responded to a rapidly evolving situation involving multiple 911 calls and simultaneous events" and found "no evidence of intentional misconduct or neglect." As a result, the Edgar County Sheriff's Office will not take any termination or disciplinary action against the dispatchers.

This finding is limited solely to the internal administrative investigation conducted by the Edgar County Sheriff's Department. It does not reflect or determine the outcome of any separate, ongoing investigations by other law enforcement agencies, including the Illinois State Police or the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

In the press release from the Illinois Attorney General it further states that that local police departments and sheriff’s offices do not have the final authority to determine whether a hate crime occurred or to close broader civil rights or criminal investigations. Under Illinois law and federal authority, the determination of whether bias or hate motivated a crime is a separate matter that falls under the purview of state and federal agencies with specific jurisdiction over hate crimes.

The Illinois Attorney General’s Office, the Illinois State Police, and the FBI continue to monitor and, where appropriate, conduct independent investigations into incidents that may involve potential hate crimes or civil rights violations. These parallel investigations are separate from any internal administrative review by a local agency.

We will provide further updates as additional information from the ongoing state and federal reviews becomes available. We're committed to being transparent and thoroughly examining all relevant facts surrounding this incident.