Shawgo back behind bars after Tuesday incident

Less than six months after being found not guilty by a Randolph County jury in April of involuntary manslaughter in the bar fight death of Jeffrey D. "J.R." Welty, Beau A. Shawgo is back behind bars.

Shawgo, 39, of Percy, was arrested early Tuesday morning by the Steeleville Police Department on a dozen listed offenses - including DUI of both alcohol and drugs, aggravated assault and aggravated fleeing or attempting to elude a peace officer.

According to Steeleville Police Chief Tyler Cleland, Steeleville police officers noticed Shawgo behind the wheel of a vehicle at the Huck's gas station on East Broadway Street.

The officers, who knew Shawgo had a suspended driver's license, observed Shawgo allegedly leave the gas station and head toward Percy. Cleland said one of the officers followed Shawgo, while the other went toward Percy.

The following officer eventually caught up with Shawgo on East Main Street, where the officer noticed Shawgo's vehicle with its lights off parked off the roadway.

"(Shawgo) knew he was going to be followed, so he tried to go down a back street," Cleland said.

According to Cleland, the officer ordered Shawgo out of the car, but Shawgo drove off, nearly striking the officer and the squad car in the process before proceeding toward Percy.

In Percy, police were waiting in the turnoff across from Byrd's Body Shop. Shawgo turned onto Streamline Road, eventually stopping just past the railroad tracks.

Shawgo again allegedly refused to exit his vehicle when confronted by law enforcement, but later did exit the car and was arrested and taken into custody. He refused blood and urine testing, according to Cleland.

The full list of offenses is as follows: improper parking on roadway, possession of cannabis, aggravated assault, aggravated fleeing/eluding police, DUI alcohol, DUI drugs, obstructing a police officer, driving while license suspended, illegal transportation of alcohol, operating an uninsured vehicle, disobeying a traffic control device and improper lane usage.

According to court records, Shawgo has been officially charged with aggravated attempting to flee/elude a peace officer (a Class 4 felony) and aggravated assault while operating a motor vehicle (a Class 3 felony).

Bond for Shawgo was set at $15,000 on Wednesday with 10 percent applied and he was appointed public defender James Kelley as his attorney. As of Wednesday, Shawgo remained incarcerated at Randolph County Jail awaiting a Nov. 13 preliminary hearing at 10 a.m.