By FRED KRONER
For Mahomet Daily
A police chase that started in Champaign on Friday morning ended with the apprehension of a suspect with a knife in a west parking lot at Mahomet-Seymour High School.
According to a Mahomet Police Department release, the suspect, 41-year-old Richard Stover, from Champaign, did not enter the building.
The arrest took place at about 11 am.
The M-S school district is on Winter Break, but some student-athletes were in the school for practice.
“School staff took appropriate action and secured the students until the suspect was taken into custody and removed from the scene,” the Mahomet Police report said.
Stover is facing charges of first-degree murder, aggravated robbery, aggravated fleeing and eluding a police officer. He will make a court appearance on Saturday.
After entering Mahomet, he drove north on Division Street — reportedly at a high rate of speed — and abandoned his vehicle in the 500 block of North Division.
He was subdued in a parking lot at the high school minutes later by law enforcement agents, who used a taser.
Stover will be charged with the death of a 60-year-old female relative, Betty J. Stover, who was found in the Champaign home he provided as his address.
The relationship between the two was not available on Friday.
In a one-paragraph, early-afternoon email on Friday, M-S superintendent Lindsey Hall informed parents with students in the district of the situation.
At various times, Champaign police officers, Champaign County deputies and Mahomet police officers were involved with the chase.
According to the Champaign police, Richard Stover is also a suspect for a 2 a.m. Friday robbery at Walgreen’s, on West Springfield Avenue, in Champaign.
