Former ISP sergeant/task force cop hospitalized after cycle crash
Steve Poe, in mugshot from last month's incident
EFFINGHAM CO.—Somebody needs to take Steve Poe off the streets before he begins taking others with him in his next traffic incident.
Weinie Effingham law enforcement authorities (headed up, of course, by ISP, as District 12 is located there and everyone does obeisance to the great state gods) have been letting Poe, retired ISP sergeant and drug task force agent of Louisville in Clay County, go on his drunken rampages for far too long.
Last month (05.20.10) Clay County law, which has no such compunction against Poe’s perceived ‘status,’ busted the man for chasing and threatening a motorist from the Effingham/Clay line down into Flora. Poe was drunk, armed with an automatic weapon, and driving in excessive speeds until he was stopped by Flora and Clay County law enforcement and charged by prosecutor Marilyn Brant. His charges resulted in the confiscation of his FOID card and weapons from his home.
But they didn’t get all of them, apparently—just like Louisville residents told Disclosure they didn’t.
Last night (06.18.10), residents of that town observed Poe driving a motorcycle haphazardly on 45 north out of town toward Effingham, where Poe goes to do his drinking.
One resident observed that Poe was not a motorcycle rider and if he continued, he would get drunk, get pissed, and crash that bike.
That’s exactly what he did. In a drunk-driving incident in Effingham County last night (06.18.10), Poe destroyed the bike—along with his pelvis—and was ultimately transported to Carle Hospital in Champaign with that broken pelvis and other serious injuries, which we’re hearing now in late reports involve broken fingers, a busted spleen, and blood on the brain. According to our sources, Poe was attempting to pass a motorist in Effingham and the bike went down, taking Poe up the highway sideways.
His blood draw in Effingham showed a blood alcohol content of .17. He also had on him a loaded weapon. He had already been relieved of his FOID card after the May incident.
License, courtesy Clay County circuit clerk's office
Effingham law enforcement has long been giving Poe a pass. Even after the recent Clay County arrest, he was driving around (sans license; the Clay County courthouse has that, see partial at right), allegedly drunk as reported by several bars in Effingham and Clay counties (mostly Effingham, which is where he gets away with it) and with increasingly bizarre behavior.
He’s been thrown out of two bars where they know that part of his terms of bond is that he mustn’t consume alcohol. But at one Effingham bar, it’s been reported that he took a shine to a young girl working as a bartender, and attempted to outwait her in the parking lot one night just a couple of weeks ago. The girl stayed holed up in the bar, knowing it wouldn’t do any good to call the law since A) they would do little but maybe run him off which would B) make things worse for her the next night, and he finally went home.
But last night might bring a quicker resolution to all this insanity; not only is he sidelined now with serious injuries, thus preventing him from getting around, but he also violated two terms of his bond what with the DUI and having a loaded weapon on his person. One Thomas L. Smith, of Cowden, should be particularly pissed that this happened, as he’s the one who put up the $15,000 cash bond to extract Poe from the Clay County jail May 20. Since those terms of bond were violated, he’ll likely not see THOSE funds again.
Hurry out and get the current edition of Disclosure in Clay County at Needmore Store, Louisville; Price is Right in Clay City; Empty Pockets in Iola and Party House in Flora so you can read all the details of what local mainstream media wouldn’t print about the Poe incident in May; that way you’ll be fully informed by the time the July paper comes out with even MORE info on Poe, and this most recent matter, July 14!
Short URL: http://www.disclosurenewsonline.com/?p=3515
Posted by Chris Beavers
on Jun 19 2010. Filed under Clay.
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Is there any updates on the condition of him or when he will be going back to jail?
We haven’t heard a thing. There’s NOTHING on Effingham’s paper website (as big as that town is, you’d think they’d have something else to cover besides ro-day-o stuff on the front page) and nothing on W-annoy (Flora’s radio WNOI). Apparently he’s still alive; but it doesn’t look like anyone has done anything about his bond status in Clay Co. yet. We’ll keep our ears peeled.
You really should get your facts straight, your story is biased and ignorant. There is more to every story that is obviously left out. Do everyone a favor and tell all of the story.
The facts are “straight.” wtf, you think they’re crooked? The story isn’t biased, either. What happened happened. Ignorant? Yes, I would call getting drunk, going out on a motorcycle that you barely know how to ride, carrying a loaded weapon after the court has ordered all weapons removed from your possession, IGNORANT. But then, we didn’t do that, he did. If you know more, you’re welcome to give us a call or email. But there isn’t “more left out.” What’d we leave out, the reason why he got drunk? Do tell.
Steve is a friend of mine so I will be a little biased. You could mention the years he was an undercover officer and how he had to live while performing those duties. I believe he took more than a few criminals off the streets and that made all our lives safer.You could compare his undercover duty to that of a soldier at war. While that bike was new to Steve, it was not his first and he was not without experience. Steve did wrong and will have to pay one way or the other but the man has a good side and you only dwelled on the bad.
No, we didn’t dwell on anything, we told what was available in court documents, police reports, comments from the chief in Flora and the sheriff of Clay, and what neighbors told us. There just wasn’t anything good there to get. Because the state police, and subsequently drug task force, are so secretive with what they do, we may NEVER know what “good” Poe did while he was working for them…those documents, as well as anyone available to comment, were not accessible to us. That’s not our fault. We report what’s there.
We attempted to reach Poe, via a number that appeared in conjunction with PoeBoys Farms (“not in service at this time”) and there were no public listings for a home phone in Louisville. We always try to be fair when reporting on crime, and that includes at least attempting to contact the accused. We were unsuccessful. The bulk of the information was “bad” about Poe, and that’s all we had to work with…so that’s what people are reading.
As for the “soldier at war” thing, that is, unfortunately and in my opinion, bullshit. We’ve both known many, many people who’ve worked with ISP DTF. Most that we know are still with them. None of them suffered psychotic episodes, and none of them have a drinking or drug problem. It sounds to me like Poe is using his “years on the task force” as a cop-out for the fact that he has a problem with booze. Add to that an apparently somewhat unstable personality to begin with, and it’s a disastrous mix. He needs to be taken off the street before he kills someone.
This guy must be a relative or something to Poe. I mean, come on now, it’s obvious Poe had a problem. So maybe he did a good job in the past, that doesn’t mean he gets a “get out of jail free” pass just because of his previous works. It’s what he does now that’s important and it looks like if he keeps up this pace, he’s going to do himself in. Problem is, he just might take someone else down with him. You need to re-think your comment Dan Sams. It really doesn’t make much sense.
We’re so grateful that Marilyn Brant (the prosecutor in Clay) saw through all the BS and hype surrounding Poe and charged him the way she did. For him to go out THE NEXT FRIGGIN DAY and order a crossbow is the epitome of ‘disturbed.’ He of all people should have known that when he had to give up his weapons (which he obviously didn’t give them ALL up), he couldn’t just go out and get a crossbow. The guy’s a menace and we’re glad he’s off the streets for now…
He has had history of alcohol abuse as well as a drug problem. Look up the accident on west Fayeete Rd. in Effingham. His passenger died. Isn’t it ironic he was part of a Drug Task Force??
We researched that to the extent that information was available (we didn’t have time to go up there)…we were told there were no deaths involved in that traffic crash. Who was his passenger? Was it a fellow officer?
He should know better than to be driving drunk. He knows the laws I’m sure. It seems that he thought he was above them. Maybe he can get back on his medication be ordered to take it and get better.
Well just wanted to check in again. I have heard he is still in Champaign hospital in ICU. Was reported he will have some brain damage(as if he needs anymore). Again, that is just what i have heard. KEEP US POSTED!!! LOVE YOUR PAPER.
Am thinking it was a lawyer from Effingham area . The vehicle hit the river bridge went upside down and landed in the river.
i think those were two different accidents. i could be wrong, but i think the lawyer was driving the car he died in & the lawyers accident came awhile before poes. lawyers accident was west on fayette avenue though. they both left same bar before accidents i think.
A retired police officer is authorized to carry a handgun in every state and is not required to have a FOID card. HR218
Yeah, isn’t that great? Which is why Steve Poe thinks he can just run around with impunity even after his FOID card and weapons had been removed from him.
Is it correct that someone with a police certification, but who isn’t working anywhere as a police officer currently, can also carry?
Has there been an update? The last I heard he had spleen removed, tried putting ear on and a lot of broken bones. Shoulder and pelvic surgery and he was brought out of drug induced coma. Yes they lawyer & Steve left same bar, had been drinking and doing a white powder w/ friends. :-[)
Seriously? Any charges gonna come out of this, or is E-ham’s SA going to give him a pass?
A retired police officer has to qualify annually and is required to have a FOID card to carry a weapon and can only carry the type of weapon you qualify with.
Any update on Steve?
Not a thing.
But is there a murderer running loose in Effingham?
Are you talking about the murder that happened on Shenandoah that we have heard nothing about??? I wonder if they are keeping it quiet hoping someone will open their mouth and brag?
@curious: That’s the one, Jack David Schmitt. Everyone in E’ham was kept in the dark for a couple of days…but I didn’t hear anything about Loogootee. We don’t have a lot to do with news there; all we know about that part of Indiana is that we buy our cars from Butch Bailey…
But, what about the 15 year old that killed 2 people down in Logotee???? Any scoop on that?
There hasn’t been one word or article about the Jack Schmitt murder! I don’t know if they are at a loss or what! Crazy! And scary for the residents of Effingham.
Well Steve Poe has turned up as of Sept 9, 2010 and is living at the Casey Nursing Home , Casey Illinois doing rehab for 3 weeks. To see him walk down the halls, you would never know how bad he was hurt in May.
I should add Steve is an inpatient at the Casey Health Care Center, Casey, Ill. It is a nursing home with rehab facilities.
Steve is home! We will see if he appears at his next court dates!
Well, that murderer in Effingham has tried to strike again! It was poor old Jack Schmitt’s son! He went to a woman’s house in Edgewood Sunday, stabbed her and her 15 year old daughter. Daughter escaped, went to a neighbor and got help. Gary Schmitt left, went to his mothers in Effingham still covered in blood and with knife still on him, told her to call the police. After interviewing him about the current case (both ladies are expected to make it), investigator asked him if he had ever felt like hurting anyone before this incident and I’ll be damn, he said “yeah, I killed my dad”! Thank God those ladies survived! Who would have been his next victims???
WHAT.
Are you telling us that Gary Schmitt is “the murderer”?
Does he look like the composite sketch?
Yeppers! Go to wxef, they have the press conference from today! Pretty interesting!
We need you guys to come one more county north PLEZZZZZZ!!!!!!!!!!!! Love the info you give!
Sorry, should have checked the breaking before posting on here! Moved my comments to there!