(PEORIA, IL) On Thursday, February 19, 2026, at approximately 12:43 a.m., Peoria Police officers observed a vehicle connected to a recent shooting investigation parked in an alley in the 900 block of S. Blaine Street.
As officers approached the vehicle, three male subjects exited and fled on foot. Officers initiated a brief foot pursuit and successfully apprehended all three individuals. They were identified as 18-year-old Lamont D. Johnson, 24-year-old Evan L. Brown, and a 16-year-old male juvenile.
During a canvass of the area along the subjects’ flight path, officers located two firearms believed to have been discarded during the pursuit.
Evan L. Brown, 24, was arrested for:
• Unlawful Possession of a Weapon by a Felon
• Aggravated Unlawful Possession of a Weapon
• Possession of a Firearm without a Valid FOID Card
• Obstructing an Officer
• Active Warrant
Lamont D. Johnson, 18, was arrested for:
• Aggravated Unlawful Possession of a Weapon
• Obstructing an Officer
• Possession of a Firearm without a Valid FOID Card
• Unlawful Possession of a Handgun Under 21
The 16-year-old male was arrested for Obstructing Police and was later released to the custody of his mother.
Brown and Johnson were transported to the Peoria County Jail.
Anyone with information regarding any violent crimes is encouraged to contact the Peoria Police Department at (309) 673-4521, tip411 (anonymous), or Crime Stoppers at (309) 673-9000.
**All suspects and arrestees are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. **