Illinois man sentenced to prison for fatally shooting Officer Jacob Keltner in 2019

ROCKFORD, Ill. - An Illinois man has learned his fate for fatally shooting Special Deputy U.S. Marshal Jacob Keltner in 2019.

Keltner, a McHenry County Sheriff’s deputy, was part of a U.S. Marshals Service fugitive task force that was trying to serve a warrant on Floyd E. Brown for burglary and parole violation charges. 

On March 7, 2019, law enforcement swarmed a Rockford hotel where Brown was living.

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As officers closed in, officials say Brown fired 10 shots through the door of his room and nearby walls. He then jumped out a third-floor window in his room and was confronted by Special Deputy Keltner, who was covering the exterior of the hotel.

Police say Brown shot Keltner, fled the hotel in a vehicle and was arrested hours later near Lincoln, Illinois, after a high-speed pursuit and standoff.

"Through the violent actions of Floyd Brown, the Keltner family lost a devoted son, husband and father, and the citizens of the Northern District of Illinois lost a dedicated public servant," said U.S. Attorney John R. Lausch, Jr. "Special Deputy Keltner made the ultimate sacrifice in the service of our nation.  His bravery and dedication will not be forgotten."

Brown, 43, of Springfield, was convicted earlier this year by a jury and on Monday, U.S. District Judge Matthew F. Kennelly sentenced him to 55 years in federal prison.