Watters
Submitted story
On Wednesday, Dec. 6 at 11:21 a.m., Urbana police were dispatched to a report of a man holding an older woman at knife point, threatening to kill her in the 800 block of North Oakland Street.
When officers arrived on scene at 11:26 a.m., they encountered David P. Watters, 45, armed with two knives, one in each hand, who had also duct-taped himself to a female victim, age 68, by duct taping his left arm to her right arm. Watters and his victim, who have been in a relationship together, were found sitting on the northeast curb of Oakland Street and Hagenbuch Street when police arrived on scene.
Officers secured the area surrounding the suspect and victim using their police vehicles. Officers attempted to talk with Watters and ordered him to drop the two knives. Watters would not comply and became further agitated. Through continued communication with him by Sgt. Logan Dunn, Watters tossed one of the knives away, but continued holding onto a large butcher knife, while continuing to make threats about wanting to go back to prison.
Officers continued speaking with Watters during which time an opportunity came when Watters had set the butcher knife on the ground against his leg to use his free hand to light a cigarette. The officers acted and were able to rush in and tackle Watters away from the knife and take him into custody safely, after removing the tape holding him together with the victim.
Once he was searched and secured in a police vehicle, Watters was transported back to the police division by officers Robbie Evans and Ely Louck to be processed before he was taken to the Tri-County Regional Jail. Officer Luke Hiltibran and Sgt. Dunn processed the scene, collecting witness statements and evidence from the scene including the two knives. Urbana Fire Division medics were summonsed to the scene to check on the victim who was slightly injured and transported her to Urbana Health Mercy Hospital to be checked further.
Police learned that three of the witnesses to the standoff had been working at a nearby residence when Watters and the victim approached them and, according to the witnesses, he began acting strangely and trying to have a conversation with them. When they asked him to move along, Watters allegedly brandished the two knives and told them that they needed to call the police because he was going to kill the old lady.
Police later found that Watters was wanted on an active Violator at Large warrant violation through the local Adult Parole Authority. APA Officer Brandon Deskins assisted police in processing Watters at the police division.
From Wednesday’s incident, police charged Watters with the following: three counts of Felony of the 1st Degree, Kidnapping; Felony of the 3rd Degree, Abduction; Felony of the 4th Degree, Domestic Violence; Felony of the 5th Degree, Escape (the APA violation), and Felony of the 5th Degree, Possessing Criminal Tools.
He was being held in the Tri-County Jail awaiting his initial court appearance in Champaign County Municipal Court on Thursday.
Submitted by the Urbana Police Division
