Pontiac police officer found not guilty of obstruction of justice

Posted on February 5, 2015

Daron Bagnell has been found not guilty of obstruction of justice charges stemming from a motorcycle accident in May 2013. (WJBC file photo)

BLOOMINGTON – A Pontiac police officer accused of lying to Illinois State Police about an off-duty motorcycle crash has been found not guilty.

The verdict for Daron Bagnell was entered Wednesday by Judge Casey Costigan nearly a month after Bagnell's trial ended on obstruction of justice charges. Bagnell was accused of telling State Police that he hit a deer in a crash in May 2013 about six miles east of Chenoa when he had been drinking that night with his friend, former Clinton police officer Tim Dunn. Dunn pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice and was given 24 months of conditional discharge.

State Police also accused Bagnell of drinking immediately after the accident and ignoring authorities' requests to speak about the crash.

Another officer involved, former Wenona police officer Michael Willis, was accused of helping the alleged cover-up but never charged.

Joe Ragusa can be reached at [email protected].

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