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DeKalb police kill Malta man Chief: Officer shoots 28-year-old attacking family with knife Lupton attack his stepmother with the knife, DeKalb Police Chief Gene Lowery said. A hospital spokeswoman said Tuesday night she could not release updated condition information about the couple. The two officers involved have been placed on paid administrative leave as Illinois State Police conduct an independent investigation into the police use of deadly force, Lowery said in a news release. “I’m confident actions of all those involved were professional and courageous,” Low-
By KATIE DAHLSTROM kdahlstrom@shawmedia.com DeKALB – A DeKalb police officer fatally shot a 28-yearold Malta man about noon Tuesday when officers said he was stabbing his father and stepmother in their home on the city’s south side. The two stabbing victims – Charlotte Lupton, 67, and Carl Lupton, 57 – were taken to Kishwaukee Hospital in DeKalb and cooperated with initial police investigations. Police witnessed Cameron D.
ery said, adding he believes the officers saved the lives of Carl and Charlotte Lupton. According to Lowery’s news release, officers from DeKalb and Northern Illinois University were dispatched to the Quail Run home after a police dispatcher heard a disturbance taking place during a phone call with Charlotte Lupton. She had requested a well-being check at a nearby address on High Pointe Drive, so telecommunicators were following up with her, the news release states.
Upon arriving at the house, police encountered Cameron Lupton, who was attacking the couple with a knife, and an officer shot Cameron Lupton, killing him, the release states. During an interview Tuesday, Lowery would not release the officers’ names or how many times the gun was fired, but said the two DeKalb police officers on the scene have been placed on paid administrative leave according
See SHOOTING, page A6
Rob Winner – rwinner@shawmedia.com
A Northern Illinois University police officer blocks pedestrian traffic Tuesday on the 1000 block of Quail Run in DeKalb after a report of shots fired.
Obama: 2014 a ‘year of action’
Trial underway for driver in fatal wreck that killed 2
Vows to use his executive powers By JULIE PACE The Associated Press WASHINGTON – Seeking to energize his sluggish second term, President Barack Obama vowed Tuesday night in his State of the Union address to sidestep Congress “whenever and wherever” necessary to narrow economic disparities between rich and poor. He unveiled an array of modest executive actions to increase the minimum wage for federal contract workers and make it easi- President er for millions Barack of low-income Obama Americans to save for retire- Voice ment. “ A m e r i c a your does not stand opinion still and neither do I,” Obama Did you declared in his watch the prime-time adState of the dress before a Union address joint session last night? of Congress a n d m i l l i o n s Vote online at of Americans Daily-Chroniw a t c h i n g o n cle.com. TV. D r a p e d in presidential grandeur, Obama’s hour-long address served as the opening salvo in a midterm election fight for control of Congress that will quickly consume Washington’s attention. Democrats, seeking to cast Republicans as uncaring about the middle class, have urged Obama to focus on economic mobility and the gap between the wealthy and poor. His emphasis on executive actions was greeted with shouts of “Do it!” from many members of his party. Declaring 2104 a “year of action,” Obama also sought to convince an increasingly
Monica Maschak – mmaschak@shawmedia.com
Patricia Schmidt, 48, of Sycamore, sits at the defense table Tuesday during the first day of her trial. She is accused of reckless homicide and aggravated reckless driving in the Feb. 21, 2011, crash that killed two people.
Prosecution calls 8 witnesses on first day By ANDREA AZZO aazzo@shawmedia.com SYCAMORE – Jennifer Schopfer found no pulse on Tim Getzelman and was unsure if she found a pulse on Lexi Weber when she came upon a fatal car crash about 5:30 p.m. Feb. 21, 2011. But Schopfer, an off-duty nurse, had a short conversation with Patricia Schmidt when she approached the pickup truck that had collided with Getzelman’s white Pontiac Grand Am, Schopfer testified Tuesday.
“I asked if [Schmidt] was OK, and she said, ‘I’m fine,’ ” Schopfer said. “[Every] question I asked was either an, ‘I’m fine’ or ‘no.’ ” Whether Schmidt really was fine is at issue a trial that started Tuesday and will continue March 3. Schmidt was diagnosed with a seizure condition three years before the fatal crash, and doctors told her not to drive or operate heavy machinery while she was taking her medication, DeKalb County Assistant State’s Attorney Phil Montgomery said. Schmidt, 48, of the of the 28500
block of Brickville Road, is accused of reckless homicide and aggravated reckless driving in connection with the crash at the intersection of Route 23 and Peace Road in Sycamore. If convicted of the more serious charge, reckless homicide, she could be sentenced to probation or up to 5 years in prison. Getzelman, a 21-yearold Sycamore High School graduate, died at the scene, while Weber, a 21-year-old Kaneland High School graduate, died shortly after.
See TRIAL, page A6
On the Neter To view video or photos of the court proceedings Monday, visit Daily-Chronicle.com.
About the trial The trial of Patricia Schmidt resumes March 3. The defendant is charged with reckless homicide and aggravated reckless driving in connection with the fatal accident.
See ADDRESS, page A6
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