By LISA HAMMER
The Dispatch/Rock Island Argus
The Granite City man charged with murder in the April 29, 2022, death of Knox County Deputy Nicholas Weist went on trial Tuesday in a Henry County courtroom.
Defense attorney Bruce Carmen told the jury that Daylon K. Richardson, 24, wasn’t trying to kill anybody when his Ford Taurus struck and killed Deputy Weist on Rt. 150 near Alpha in Henry County.
“He was not trying to kill anybody. He was not trying to hurt anybody,” said Carmen in his opening statement to the jury. “He’s just trying to get away and he does something stupid.”
In her opening statement, Henry County State’s Attorney outlined the pursuit and said that at the close of evidence she would be asking the jury to find Richardson guilty of murdering Deputy Weist. She noted the Galesburg police officer who initiated the pursuit of Richardson saw him fire a gun through his rear window and three shell casings and a gun were later recovered.
Charges were later amended to add two new counts of murder including the allegation that the deceased officer had been performing his official duties, which would enhance the penalty for a conviction from 20 to 60 years to natural life in prison.
Also on Tuesday, Lt. Carl Kraemer of the Knox County Sheriff’s Department testified he had been the one to authorize Deputy Weist to deploy the stop sticks. He said that happened 18 to 20 minutes after Weist’s shift technically ended at 8 a.m., but the officer had never advised a “10-42” indicating he was done or off shift. Further, he said officers are generally paid overtime when they work beyond their shift.
Weist was the one to bring up the suggestion of stop sticks and to say that he was in the vicinity of the pursuit, Kraemer said.
Officer Jared Tapscott of the Galesburg Police Department testified regarding his pursuit of Richardson vehicle’s, saying it traveled at a fairly constant speed of 100 to 110 miles per hour. Before they left Knox County, he saw gunshots fired through the rear windshield. Officer Tapscott radioed that an officer was down before getting out of his squad to chase down Richardson, whom he left with another officer to go and check on Deputy Weist. He did not observe any signs of life in the officer.
Carmen asked for a standing objection to the mention of gunshots being fired during the pursuit in Knox County. Judge Norma Kauzlarich noted Carmen had brought up two similar motions in limine during pre-trial hearings and she had issued oral and written rulings denying both.
Jurors also watched squad car videos taken by Tapscott of the chase from Galesburg and by Deputy Weist himself. The latter showed the officer putting out the stop sticks and just seconds later, the Richardson vehicle blowing into them in what must have been just seconds before the impact.
The jury also heard several stipulations including the testimony of Henry County Coroner Melissa Watkins who pronounced Weist dead at the scene and Amanda Youmans of Peoria, the pathologist who conducted the autopsy which found Weist’s death was caused by multiple blunt force trauma consistent with being struck by a vehicle.
Richardson also faces charges in Knox County, including attempted murder.
This story is being republished with permission from the Moline Dispatch/Rock Island Argus.
