White Hall officer tased during traffic stop
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By Carmen Ensinger
A White Hall man will remain a guest of the Greene County Jail until his trial after a petition to detain him was granted in Greene County Circuit Court on Monday, July 29.
Gary A. Morgan, Jr., 44, of White Hall is facing numerous charges after a traffic stop in White Hall went awry. Morgan has been accused of Disarming a Police Officer, two counts, Aggravated Fleeing and Resisting a Police Officer.
The incident began when White Hall Police Chief Luke Coultas initiated a traffic stop on the vehicle Morgan was driving on July 25.
Coultas said the vehicle was traveling west on Bridgeport Street and the driver was driving recklessly. Coultas initiated a pursuit of the vehicle, which finally stopped on Carr St.
Upon exiting the vehicle at the request of Officer Coultas, Morgan became violent, striking Coultas in the face and taking his taser, which he then proceeded to use on Coultas before he could be subdued by other officers who had arrived at the scene.
Morgan is listed on the Illinois Sex Offender Registry as a Sexual Predator, stemming from an incident in 2006 when Morgan was pled guilty in Madison County to one count of Aggravated Criminal Sexual Abuse victim 13-16. Morgan was 26 at the time and the victim 16.
Morgan was sentenced to 24 months probation on Sept. 11, 2006. However, on Dec. 26, 2007, a petition was entered to revoke that probation. On Nov 12, 2008, an additional year was added to Morgan’s sentence and he was ordered to complete a sex offender treatment program.
Morgan’s last address on the Illinois Sex Offender Registry was on Seventh St. in Carrollton. Convicted sex offenders must notify law enforcement when they move or change addresses.
According to the court documents, the charge of resisting a police officer stems from Morgan “resisting the performance of Luke Coultas, of an authorized act within his official capacity, being the lawful investigation of a domestic battery complaint.” Morgan refused to follow the orders of Coultas and “ran away.”
The Aggravated Fleeing alleges that after being given a visual signal by a police officer that Morgan attempted to elude the officer and in doing so disobeyed two traffic control devices – stop signs at the intersection of Franklin and Carr St. and at the intersection of Carr and Bridgeport.
Morgan is scheduled for arraignment on the charges on Aug. 14 in Greene County Circuit Court.
