HARDIN - At 11:20 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 16, 2023, the Calhoun County Sheriff's Office was notified by West-Central Illinois 911 dispatch of a disturbance in progress in the area of Dogtown Road in Batchtown. Calhoun County Sheriff's Deputy Nicholas McCall and Sheriff William Heffington responded to the scene, met with victims and began an investigation.
Upon their arrival, law enforcement officials were advised that the suspect vehicle had fled the scene. Deputy McCall located the vehicle traveling southbound at a high rate of speed on Illinois River Road and after a brief pursuit, conducted a traffic stop on the suspect vehicle.
The sheriff's office says after an investigation, Annabelle M. Hammond, age 21, of Batchtown, was arrested for a large number of offenses:
• Aggravated Battery with Deadly Weapon (Firearm),
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• Battery (Three Counts),
• Aggravated Assault with Deadly Weapon (Firearm),
• Aggravated Assault with Motor Vehicle (Three Counts),
• Aggravated Fleeing / Attempt Elude Police Officer,
• Driving Under the Influence - Alcohol,
• Speeding (35+ MPH Over Limit),
• Criminal Damage to Property ($500 - $10,000)
The sheriff's office said Hammond was arrested without incident and was booked into the Pike County Jail and is currently being held without Bond.
On Dec. 18, 2023, in accordance the provisions of the new House Bill 3653, known as the SAFE-T Act, a Pre-Trial Detention Hearing was held at the Calhoun County Courthouse. The Honorable Judge Charles HW Burch granted the State’s petition for detention.
On Dec. 22, 2023, in accordance with the aforementioned House Bill, Hammond was granted pre-trial release with conditions including House Arrest and GPS monitoring, pending trial.
All suspect(s) are innocent until proven guilty.
