Police are still looking for a man accused of shooting a Winnebago County sheriff's deputy last weekend.
Deputy Stephen Wright was shot in the back and shoulder early Saturday morning during a traffic stop near southwest Rockford. Detectives identified 27-year-old Jordan Spates of Rockford as a suspect. They conducted a massive manhunt much of Saturday in wooded areas near the site of the shooting, including Klehm Arboretum.
At a news conference Tuesday afternoon, Winnebago County Sheriff Gary Caruana urged “… Jordan to turn himself in. That would be wise, and we could speak with him regarding this situation.”
Spates is wanted for aggravated battery to a police officer with a firearm, which is a felony punishable by 6 to 30 years in prison.
Caruana says his department’s thoughts are with Wright and his family as he recovers from wounds to his back and shoulder.
Anyone with information about Spates’s whereabouts is urged to contact the sheriff’s department or Crimestoppers.
