November 17, 2024
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Alleged assailant of Joliet West graduate charged with felony battery

Charge stems from April 4 incident at night club in Quincy

By Alex Ortiz
jazzpher evans, steven homan

Steven Homan was charged with felony aggravated battery of Jazzpher Evans, 19, at a night club police said he owned in Quincy in the early morning hours of April 4, 2021. (Provided)

The Adams County State’s Attorney’s Office announced Wednesday it has charged the man accused of assaulting a 19-year-old Joliet West graduate at a Quincy night club last week.

The agency charged Steven Homan with felony aggravated battery, according to a news release. He was booked in the Adams County Jail on Thursday.

The charge stems from an April 4 incident in which Homan allegedly attacked Shorewood resident Jazzpher Evans at a night club called The Barn in Quincy, not far from where she is a freshman at Quincy University.

The Quincy Police Department said last week the incident occurred between Evans and the owner of The Barn.

During a news conference last week, Evans said Homan, who she said is much larger than her, shoved her up against a wall, spat on her, threw her to the ground and wrapped his arm around her neck, causing her to lose consciousness. Evans’ attorney, Keenan Saulter, said she sustained several face lacerations and a concussion from the attack.

Jazzpher Evans speaks with reporters at a press conference on Thursday, April 8, 2021, at One Vision Worship Center in Joliet, Ill. Evans, a current Quincy University student and Joliet West High School graduate was allegedly assaulted in a racially motivated attack on Sunday night at a local Quincy bar.

Jazzpher Evans speaks with reporters at a press conference on Thursday, April 8, 2021, at One Vision Worship Center in Joliet, Ill. Evans, a current Quincy University student and Joliet West High School graduate was allegedly assaulted in a racially motivated attack on Sunday night at a local Quincy bar. (Geoff Stellfox - gstellfox@shawmedia.com)

Quincy police were called to the scene at the night club. The Adams County State’s Attorney’s Office said in its release it worked extensively with the police department in the investigation.

Investigators spent the last week-and-a-half reviewing video evidence of the incident from security cameras in the club and interviewing witnesses, according to the police department.

The police department attempted to explain in another statement on Thursday why Homan was not arrested the night of the alleged assault.

“A formal complaint was not made regarding the incident until the following afternoon,” the QPD statement said. “While officers responded to the scene and spoke with a variety of people there was not the necessary information to proceed at that time.”

The police statement added “It was decided at that time that rather than rush the issue it was prudent to conduct a proper investigation before making an arrest.”

This explanation appeared to contradict what Evans said last week. She said once she regained consciousness outside of the night club, she saw two police officers and approached them to tell them what happened.

A spokeswoman for Saulter’s law office declined to comment.

The state’s attorney’s office said it has consulted with Evans and Saulter and will meet with them.

“They are aware of the decision that we are announcing today and understand our legal and evidentiary reasoning,” the state’s attorney’s office said in the release.

The case has also sparked outcries for justice among locals in the city of about 40,000 residents and from students at Quincy University. The state’s attorney’s office said it is “aware of the frustration and anger within our community surrounding this incident.”

Local attorney Keenan Saulter addresses the media at a press conference on Thursday, April 8, 2021, at One Vision Worship Center in Joliet, Ill. Jazzpher Evans, a current Quincy University student and Joliet West High School graduate was allegedly assaulted in a racially motivated attack on Sunday night at a local Quincy bar.

Local attorney Keenan Saulter addresses the media at a press conference on Thursday, April 8, 2021, at One Vision Worship Center in Joliet, Ill. Jazzpher Evans, a current Quincy University student and Joliet West High School graduate was allegedly assaulted in a racially motivated attack on Sunday night at a local Quincy bar. (Geoff Stellfox - gstellfox@shawmedia.com)

Saulter’s law office released a statement Wednesday saying the Evans family was “encouraged” about Homan being charged in the case.

“Jazzpher Evans, her family and our firm understand the announcement of charges against Steven Homan is just a first step in obtaining the justice Jazzpher deserves as she makes a gallant effort towards a full recovery,” the statement read. “While the news of charges spark hope, we remain relentless in our pursuit that Steven Homan is held fully accountable for his wrongdoing and the trauma he inflicted on Jazzpher.”

The state’s attorney’s release also asked the public to remember that “rumors and speculation circulating in the community and on social media are, at best, incomplete and are often incorrect, false, misleading,” though it did not specify what falsehoods it was referring to.

Saulter did share concerns last week he had about the police investigation, including questioning how quickly investigators obtained security camera footage of the alleged attack. Deputy Chief Shannon Pilkington of the Quincy Police Department said officers were able to obtain footage of the incident in a timely manner.

Saulter also said he and the Evans family had heard from at least a dozen other women who claimed Homan has attacked them.

The Evans family is planning a rally and march in Quincy on Saturday to “raise awareness and amplify Jazzpher’s voice that justice be served,” according to a press release from Saulter’s office.

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