By Heart of Illinois ABC
BLOOMINGTON- A smoke bomb was lit during yesterday’s peaceful protest at the law and justice center and after posting a photo on social media a suspect has turned himself in and has been booked into the McLean County Detention Facility.
The McLean County Sheriff’s Office announced the arrest in an updated Facebook post about two hours after asking for the public’s help.
According to a another post from Bloomington Police, two people claimed that McLean County Sheriff’s Deputies had thrown a smoke canister into the group of demonstrators.
Our news partner, Heart of Illinois ABC reports that Bloomington Police say that was false, and that someone in the crowd threw the smoke device at the deputies who were providing security for the event.
BPD says the device and the smoke it emitted were harmless, and the event went on “without further problems.”
The post adds that the peaceful protest had a “great turnout with a large number of teenagers able to provide and listen to insight and opinions on current issues.”