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Springfield man gets 55 years for killing deputy US marshal

Special Deputy U.S. Marshal Jacob Keltner, 35, was a McHenry County deputy working with a Marshal’s Service fugitive task force when he was killed on March 7, 2019, at a Rockford hotel.

Associated Press
Associated Press
2 min read
Springfield man gets 55 years for killing deputy US marshal
Floyd E. Brown, 43, of Springfield was sentenced to 55 years in prison for the shooting death of Deputy U.S. Marshal Jacob Keltner in 2019. | Photo: Sangamon County Sheriff's Office (Brown, left) and McHenry County Sheriff's Office (Keltner, right)

ROCKFORD, Ill. (AP) — A federal judge sentenced an Illinois man to 55 years in prison Monday for the shooting death of a deputy U.S. marshal serving an arrest warrant for a series of downstate burglaries.

U.S. District Judge Matthew F. Kennelly imposed the sentence on Floyd E. Brown, 43, of Springfield, for his April 8 conviction on charges of second-degree murder of a federal officer, attempting to kill additional federal officers, assault of federal officers and multiple firearm counts.[1] Brown was acquitted of first-degree murder.

Special Deputy U.S. Marshal Jacob Keltner, 35, was a McHenry County deputy working with a Marshal’s Service fugitive task force when he was killed on March 7, 2019, at a Rockford hotel.

When task force officers attempted to gain access to Brown’s third-floor hotel room, he fired 10 shots through the door and nearby walls, narrowly missing three deputy marshals, U.S. Attorney John Lausch said. Brown then jumped out of a window and fired a shot that killed Keltner, who was positioned outside.

Brown was arrested several hours later near Lincoln, Illinois, after a high-speed pursuit.

“Through the violent actions of Floyd Brown, the Keltner family lost a devoted son, husband and father, and the citizens of the Northern District of Illinois lost a dedicated public servant,” Lausch said in a news release. “Special Deputy Keltner made the ultimate sacrifice in the service of our nation. His bravery and dedication will not be forgotten.”


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Notes & References


  1. “Illinois Man Guilty of Murder for Shooting Deputy at Hotel.” AP NEWS. Associated Press, April 9, 2022. https://apnews.com/article/illinois-rockford-springfield-shootings-50a391748c145082d0ce05b31eab5e0c. ↩︎

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