Springfield, Illinois – A Springfield man was arrested by the Springfield Police Department Street Crimes Unit (SCU) after a high-speed chase with his young son in the vehicle. During the traffic stop officers found cocaine and a semi-automatic pistol.

On October 16, 2023, around 2:28 p.m., officers from the Street Crimes Unit observed a reddish-orange Kia Soul parked in a handicapped spot at Oscar’s Corner Store, located at 1000 N. 9th St. Officers reported observing a male individual, later identified as Kaleb X. McKinney, age 22, exiting the vehicle from the passenger side with a child, before entering the store. An officer also noted that they observed Kaleb turning back, apparently noticing their squad car before he entered Oscars Corner Store.

According to the officers’ report, “For unknown reasons, Kaleb became frantic and immediately placed his vehicle in reverse, and it appeared he was going to back into their marked squad.” When an officer walked up to the front diver’s window of Kaleb’s vehicle to speak with him about being parked in handicap, Kaleb allegedly accelerated forward, reversed once more, and then proceeded forward, fleeing eastbound on Enterprise at a high rate of speed. When Kaleb turned left onto 10th St. to head northbound, it was estimated that Kaleb was driving 60 MPH in a 30 MPH zone. The officer wrote, “It should be noted that we were traveling at approximately 55 MPH and were unable to gain any distance on Kaleb.”

The report continues to state that Kaleb ran two stop signs, passed traffic at a high rate of speed, and recklessly merged into a traffic lane.

Kaleb eventually came to an abrupt stop north of North Grand Avenue when an officer tried to approach his vehicle. However, Kaleb fled again and stopped once more north of North Grand and Michigan. During this stop, officers noted that Kaleb exited the vehicle and opened the rear driver’s door, reaching inside to pick up his son. At this point, an officer grabbed Kaleb and told him he was under arrest. But Kaleb lunged forward inside the vehicle. “I pulled Kaleb out of the vehicle and placed him on the ground, securing him in handcuffs,” the report stated. During a search of Kaleb, an officer discovered in his right pants coin pocket a clear plastic sandwich bag containing a white rock-like substance, suspected to be crack cocaine. The suspected crack cocaine was field tested and returned a positive result for cocaine.

Officers from the Street Crimes Unit searched the route of the high-speed chase and located a black-SARSILMAZ SAR9T 9mm semi-automatic pistol on 10th St. between Reserve St. and Division St. The pistol had a magazine inserted, loaded with an unknown number of live rounds and 1 round in the chamber. Officers conducted a records check on the firearm, which revealed it was not reported stolen.

After Kaleb was read his Miranda Rights, he admitted that the substance found on him was crack cocaine and estimated it to be approximately 1.0 grams. He stated that he had it for personal use. When asked how he uses the crack cocaine, he claimed he used a pipe. However, no pipe or any other paraphernalia was found in the car during the search.

A criminal history records search revealed that Kaleb does not have a FOID card nor a Conceal Carry License. The records search also indicated two convictions out of Sangamon County. The first conviction was for a class 2 felony for Manufacturing and Delivery of a controlled substance. The second conviction was for possession of a weapon by a convicted felon, for which Kaleb is currently on parole. “These convictions make Kaleb ineligible to possess a FOID card and make him eligible to be charged with armed habitual criminal,” the officer noted.

During the officers’ interview with Kaleb, they asked him about his prior attempt to escape police custody and asked him if he planned to attempt it again. Kaleb responded, saying he couldn’t make any promises.

Currently, Kaleb is in the Sangamon County Jail, and has been charged by the Sangamon County State’s Attorneys Office with Armed Habitual Criminal (a class X felony), Possession of a weapon by a felon (a class 2 felony), Possession of a controlled substance (a class 4 felony), and Aggravated fleeing and eluding police (a class 4 felony). A pretrial bond hearing was held, and Kaleb’s bond request was denied. He will remain in the Sangamon County Jail until the conclusion of this case.