THE FOLLOWING IS A VERMILION COUNTY STATE’S ATTORNEY’S OFFICE RELEASE
Yesterday, Winston Douglas was sentenced to 8 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections by Judge Charles Hall for Possession of a Weapon by a Felon, Forcible Felon. Possession of a Weapon by a Felon with a prior Forcible Felony conviction is a class 2 felony and is punishable from 3-14 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections. A class 2 felony in Illinois now carries 1 year of mandatory supervised release (formerly known as parole), which Douglas will serve after his prison sentence.
On January 21, 2023, Douglas was mishandling a handgun in his possession while with a group of people. The handgun was loaded and Douglas accidently pulled the trigger and shot himself. The bullet struck Douglas in the leg and he was taken to the hospital for life saving procedures. After a thorough investigation by the Danville Police Department, he was arrested and charged.
State’s Attorney Lacy thanked Detective Ralph Dunham and the Danville Police Department for their efforts in this case, and reaffirmed that, “this investigation completed by the Danville Police Department, in cooperation with the State’s Attorney’s Office, resulted in the offender being held accountable and suffering the appropriate consequences for his criminal conduct.”