Karnak board member allegedly tased, jailed

KARNAK, IL (KFVS) - A special city council meeting in Karnak Tuesday night dealt with a hot button issue, but some say the real fireworks erupted when the meeting was over.

The village board met to discuss whether the town should get a police dog to sniff out drug crimes in Karnak. The measure was voted down, but after the meeting witnesses say the police chief and the councilman leading the charge against the effort got into it.

Diana Dobbs, wife of council member Willie Dobbs, said the chief pulled her aside after the meeting.

"He said 'are you Willie's wife?" she said. "He said 'This isn't over yet', and I said what are you talking about?"

Dobbs says she told her husband about the exchange, and the next thing she knew she saw her husband hauled out of the meeting place in handcuffs.

Court documents allege Councilman Willie Dobbs struck police Chief David Harris in the stomach, chest, and throat, threatened his life and resisted arrest. Retired police officer Dean Hamilton, a Karnak resident, was just in the next room during the scuffle and says he didn't hear any of that.

"I didn't hear any shouting, or any loud noises or anything," Hamilton said. "All we heard was the pop of the taser and looked over and the councilman was on the floor and the police officer was on top of him.

Not even Diana Dobbs knows exactly what lead up to the apparent brawl that landed her husband in jail. But some in town say they hope investigators learn exactly what happened Tuesday between the chief and the councilman.

"If I was in charge of it I'd have a special investigation and find out who was at fault and go from there," said Hamilton. "Whoever's at fault takes the punishment."

Sources tell Heartland News Chief Harris made a report to Illinois State Police a week ago claiming Dobbs had threatened him. We were unable to obtain any documentation to support that, and we were unable to reach the chief for comment.

Both Karnak Mayor Craig Bradley and the Pulaski County State's Attorney Donna McCann declined to comment on the case citing an ongoing investigation underway.

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