CHAMPAIGN, Illinois — An off-campus emergency which prompted an Illini-Alert notification to students, faculty and staff Friday morning has been resolved. At 5:54 a.m. Friday, a 911 caller reported an individual was acting erratically, unclothed, and possibly in need of medical attention near the area of Second and Green streets, Champaign. Police and medical responders were dispatched. The first arriving officer was on scene within a minute of being dispatched and observed that the individual was holding a knife. Officers contained the individual to a small area and began speaking with her for an extended period of time to de-escalate [...]

URBANA, Illinois – The University of Illinois Police Department has concluded that the Jan. 20 death of a student was accidental and has worked to take remedial actions. Akul Dhawan, 18, was found deceased in the 1200 block of West Nevada Street, Urbana, just after 11 a.m. Jan. 20. The Champaign County Coroner later ruled that the cause of death was hypothermia, with acute alcohol intoxication being a contributing factor. Mr. Dhawan had gotten separated from his friends the night before, when air temperatures were around zero degrees Fahrenheit with -15 degree wind chills. The University of Illinois Police Department [...]

BOSTON – When the Fighting Illini men’s basketball team takes the court Thursday night in a Sweet 16 matchup, there will be two sets of extra eyes and ears in the crowd looking out for the safety of the players, coaches and fans. University of Illinois Police Department Assistant Chief Joe McCullough and Lieutenant James Carter have been working with the team since 2021, when the Division of Public Safety partnered with the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics to enhance the safety of its football and basketball programs. Officer Chris Williams works as the safety liaison with the Fighting Illini football [...]

URBANA, Illinois – Campus was deemed safe Wednesday evening after University of Illinois Police investigated a suspicious package at Mumford Hall, 1301 W. Gregory Drive, Urbana. At about 5:43 p.m., a UIPD patrol officer was approached by an Illinois employee who reported that an unusual package was present near an entryway to the building. An explosive ordnance detection dog was on duty and dispatched to examine the package. The bomb-sniffing K9 indicated that the box contained a hazardous substance. Police evacuated the building and issued an Illini-Alert emergency notification to all students, faculty and staff after the bomb-sniffing dog indicated [...]

URBANA, Illinois – University of Illinois Police are continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding the Jan. 20 death of Akul Dhawan, a student at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Information collected so far supports the initial belief that the death was accidental, and no foul play occurred. Mr. Dhawan, 18, was found deceased at about 11:08 a.m. Jan. 20 in the 1200 block of West Nevada Street, Urbana. A friend who lost contact with Mr. Dhawan had called police at 1:23 a.m. that morning, expressing that he was concerned for Mr. Dhawan. Investigators have assembled a timeline of the initial [...]