RICHLAND CO.—A shooting in the early morning hours of February 7 was still low-key news in Richland County as of press time (February 10), but friends and relatives of the two young men involved in it are opining on what they believed happened, despite the absence of anything resembling official information coming from authorities.
And unfortunately, as the information developed, it appeared that once again, Richland’s errant prosecutor David Hyde is sending the same message in this case as he did in the Brandon Jenkins case: A person in Richland County can’t legally defend himself in his own home or around his own possessions, even after being threatened by physical harm, whether that threat is real or perceived.
Whether this case will have the outcome Jenkins’ did due to the efforts of a diligent defense attorney and lack of investigation on the part of law enforcement agencies involved remains to be seen.
Regardless, precedent has been set, and county residents are hoping that another message will be sent to Hyde loud and clear: that people in Richland have the right to defend themselves with force if necessary, and especially in their own home, despite the fact that Hyde ignores citizens’ basic civil rights.
Officials mute
Despite multiple calls to the Richland County Sheriff’s Department and state’s attorney’s office over two days—Thursday and Friday, February 7 and 8—no one in a position of authority was able (or willing) to make a comment to Disclosure about the incident.
However, according to neighbors of a residence being occupied by Jordan Fletcher, 22, and Marcus Adams, 23, on Shell Road in the Berryville area in south Richland County not far from the Edwards County line, much could be learned about what happened in the early morning hours of Thursday, Feb. 7, 2013.
These sources advised that county police were called to the area at some point in time between 4:30 and 5:30 a.m. and were “swarming” the house, a rental residence being occupied at one point by both young men, who are both originally from the Mt. Carmel area.
Reportedly, in recent weeks, Fletcher had “kicked out” Adams, however.
Adams: convicted felon
Adams is the troublemaker in Wabash County who first came to the attention of law enforcement after a major fight in Mt. Carmel, involving a number of the football team boys (of which Adams was a part), landed him charged at the age of 17 as an adult. An initial charge of Aggravated Battery in a Public Place in July 2007 was reduced to Battery causing bodily harm, for which sentence Adams was placed on probation.
A civil suit emerging from the altercation and filed in late 2007, however, by the victims in the case (Brandon Elliott and Jace Webb), is still dragging through the court system in Wabash more than six years later.
During that amount of time, Adams has been convicted of a DUI at age 19 in 2008 (which got him supervision); a major drug round-up in the summer of 2009 in which Adams’ part was felony delivery of prescription pills and cannabis (which got him a sentence of three years in DOC, but of which he really only spent a few months); and a March 2010 felony delivery of cannabis conviction which garnered him a “stayed” five-year sentence in DOC effective March 2012.
Had Adams been forced to face his sentence, he’d have been in DOC instead of where he was on February 7, 2013…but because his late uncle Tommy Lockhart, with whom he used to live in Mt. Carmel and who used to keep him on a tight leash until his death in 2007, was the brother of now-police chief in Mt. Carmel John Lockhart, Adams continued to get a pass.
Kicked out; came back
Where Adams was, on that date, was kicked out of the residence he was renting with Fletcher.
According to sources close to the families, Fletcher, who has a minimal criminal history in Wabash County (a 2009 misdemeanor Fleeing/Attempting to Elude police upon a DUI arrest, in which he was sentenced to supervision three years ago January; a 2011 DUI misdemeanor in which he received conditional discharge as a sentence in July 2012; and a December 2012 Resisting a Peace Officer misdemeanor, on which he was set for arraignment Feb. 25), had been sharing the lease on the house with Adams, but, in the past several months, Fletcher had come to suspect that Adams was hanging with the “old crowd” that involved him in illegal drugs, and that Adams may be using meth again. Not wanting that around him, Fletcher asked Adams to move out, and he did.
Adams reportedly showed up at the residence at about 4 a.m. on the morning of Feb. 7. It’s unclear why Adams showed up (as in: did he want something that he’d left at the residence, etc.), or exactly how (it’s been tentatively reported that Adams was trying to, or had succeeded in, breaking in to the place; however, that’s not been confirmed by any sources, official or unofficial), but when he did, it’s reported Fletcher again suspected Adams of being on meth (tweaking, which would explain the time of day).
When Fletcher asked Adams to leave, Adams reportedly would not. When Fletcher demanded Adams leave, Adams reportedly threatened Fletcher and implied first that he would “be back with friends,” then, that he’d brought friends with him, implying that there were one or more waiting outside.
Legally armed
Faced with this possibility, Fletcher grabbed a gun in the belief that the convicted felon Adams would be intimidated enough by Fletcher being legally armed that he would leave.
Adams would not, however.
Reportedly becoming increasingly more intimidating, Adams remained in the residence, reportedly causing Fletcher to warn him he’d shoot. And when Fletcher fired a warning shot, it struck Adams in the leg.
There was no information issued as to what kind of weapon it was.
There was also no information issued as to how quickly law enforcement responded to the matter, or whether they did at all. For all anyone in the Berryville area knows, the matter could have come to the attention of law enforcement when Adams sought medical attention for the wound and, as it was a gunshot, it was reported to law enforcement by medical personnel, as is a requirement of law.
Puzzling charges
Regardless of how it came about, Fletcher was subsequently arrested on preliminary charges of Aggravated Discharge of a Firearm and Aggravated Domestic Battery when he came to speak with investigators about it Saturday, Feb. 9.
Neither charge, however, seems to make sense.
The Domestic Battery charge could likely be explained by the mere fact that Adams’ name remained on the lease to the place, even though he hadn’t been there or had any interaction with Fletcher for quite some time, according to sources close to the families.
However, the Aggravated Discharge of a Firearm makes no sense at all, since Fletcher was A—legally armed (hadn’t lost his FOID card or right to bear a weapon), B—was in his own home and C—gave the person who was allegedly threatening him fair warning that he was feeling threatened and that force could and would be used to stop the threat.
However, this is Richland County, where a man (Brandon Jenkins) was charged with First-Degree Murder (murder with intent) in late 2011 despite the proof that there was no intent whatsoever, and that the death of the victim in the case, Scott Earp, was completely accidental, albeit that it was out in the open (at the Olney Super 8 Motel).
That Fletcher was in his own dwelling—where a person has the right to defend himself with a firearm, even according to draconian Illinois law—is puzzling to just about everyone involved.
Adams not upset; Fletcher still charged
Adams’ family advised Disclosure in the days after the incident that Adams bore no ill will against Fletcher and that it was merely an ‘accident’ and he was willing to let it go.
However, Hyde apparently was not, and therein lies the rub.
It remains unknown if toxicology/bloodwork was done on Adams at the time he sought medical attention, in order to see if he was under the influence of anything.
All that’s known for certain is that Fletcher was jailed Feb. 9 on the preliminary charges on a $150,000 bail ($15,000 cash bond).
That $15,000 might be better spent on attorney John O’Gara instead of bond, if Hyde’s history is any indication of Fletcher’s future, however.
O’Gara was Jenkins’ attorney who showed that there was literally no investigation done into the shooting of Earp, this proven during a six-day trial back in April and May 2012.
There has yet to be any civil filing against the county for showing what was obviously favoritism toward the criminal element of Richland (Earps); and there may never be, as Brandon Jenkins is a gentleman and a Texan who believes that the justice system prevailed, despite many who have encouraged him to file civilly against the county for violations of his rights under the law, and wrongful detention/charges.
Will Fletcher fight?
The same might not be said for Fletcher, however.
If a thorough investigation were conducted, it appears facts were overlooked upon arresting charges and apprehension of Fletcher.
A person has the right to be secure in his home and possessions (Fourth Amendment) and has a right to keep, bear, and use arms if necessary while in that home (Second Amendment).
How it all may have gotten screwed up is a matter for the system to sort out, which it wasn’t doing in the days following the shooting, as no one from either the sheriff’s or state’s attorney’s offices would provide any information to Disclosure about the incident, and as of press time (Feb. 10), no other media outlet had information on the story.
As in the Jenkins case, Disclosure intends to follow this one to the end…and to the next one like it, which will remain a possibility as long as the law enforcement/justice system remains as it is in Richland County.