Facebook Live Post Leads to Arrests
City of Evanston, Illinois sent this bulletin at 09/02/2016 03:12 PM CDTHaving trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 2, 2016
Contact: Commander Joseph Dugan - Media Relations
Phone: (847) 866-5026
email: jdugan@cityofevanston.org
EVANSTON POLICE PROVIDE INFORMATION THAT LEADS TO ARREST OF TWO CONVICTED FELONS
During their normal course of duty, members of the Evanston Police Department Intelligence Unit monitor various social media outlets in order to gather relevant information related to ongoing conflicts. On Wednesday, August 31, 2016 an investigator monitoring Facebook observed an individual known to him as being an active Evanston gang member and a convicted felon on parole taking part in a Facebook Live video. Facebook Live are videos that Facebook subscribers can make that post in real-time and then once completed populate on the users News Feed. In the video, the investigator was able to observe the individual at a shooting range with other subjects firing a handgun, which is against the law in Illinois due to his conviction/parole status. The investigator was further able to identify the shooting range as being located in Winthrop Harbor, Illinois. Being that the information was so fresh, the investigator contacted the Winthrop Harbor Police Department who immediately responded to the shooting range and located the individual as well as a second convicted felon that he was with, that also has ties to Evanston and was also shooting. Based on their investigation both individuals were taken into custody.
Subsequent to their investigation, Demarcus Curtis, who was observed by the investigator in the video and Nicholas Mayfield, both 25 years old were charged by the Winthrop Harbor Police Department with one count each of Aggravated Unlawful Use of Weapon by a Felon.
The Evanston Police Department would like to thank the Winthrop Harbor Police Department for their quick response and efforts to charge these two individuals, as well as thank the firing range for their cooperation in this investigation.
Due to the formal charges to have been brought by another jurisdiction, arrestee photos of Curtis and Mayfield are not available. A photograph of Curtis from the Illinois Department of Corrections website is included in this release for legitimate media publications only.
Arrested and Charged by Winthrop Harbor Police Department:
Demarcus Curtis, 25 years old
1318 Fargo, Des Plaines, Illinois
1 count Aggravated Unlawful Use of a Weapon by Felon - Class 2 Felony
Nicholas Mayfield, 25 years old
3925 W. 167th. St., Country Club Hills, Illinois
1 count Aggravated Unlawful Use of a Weapon by Felon - Class 2 Felony