Reginald Meadows was arrested by Villa Park Police and charged with unlawful use of a firearm. | Villa Park Police
Reginald Meadows was arrested by Villa Park Police and charged with unlawful use of a firearm. | Villa Park Police
A man shot and killed in a mass DuPage County shooting last week had dozens of previous encounters with law enforcement, including arrests for battery, residential burglary, attempted robbery, home invasion, unlawful use of a weapon and driving while intoxicated.
A review of DuPage and Will County Court records by DuPage Policy Journal identified at least 45 police citations and charges against Reginald Meadows, 31, who was shot in the abdomen and died, according to the DuPage County Coroner's Office.
Records show Meadows, described as a "smiling, happy-go-lucky person" and a father of two, had encounters with nine area police departments since turning 18.
Reginald V. Meadows played football for Hinsdale Central H.S. in 2009. A team roster listed him as a 6'2, 185 pound wide receiver.
| Hinsdale Central Football
In 2009, records show Downers Grove Police arrested Meadows and charged him with two counts of battery.
In 2010, Villa Park Police arrested Meadows for theft, unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia, posession of marijuana, poesssion of a firearm without a valid FOID card, and unlawful use of a weapon.
In 2011, Meadows was arrested by Hinsdale Police for possession of cannabis and cited by Downers Grove Police for driving with a suspended license.
In 2012, Meadows was cited again by Downers Grove police for driving with a suspended license, and arrested again by Hinsdale Police, this time for theft, stealing $600 in gift cards from employee mailboxes and a cell phone while he was visiting Adventist Hinsdale Hospital on Christmas Day. Patch reported the incident at the time but omitted it from its "What to know about.. Reggie Meadows" report last week.
In 2013, Meadows was cited by Elwood Police and Woodridge Police separately for driving with a suspended license.
In 2014, Meadows was cited by Woodridge Police again for driving with a suspended license and for driving with open alcohol.
In 2015, Meadows was arrested by Burr Ridge Police for driving under the influence of an "intoxicating compound" while speeding in an uninsured vehicle, and arrested by Downers Grove Police for trespassing to a residence, felony home invasion that resulted in an injury to the victim, attempted robbery, and residential burglary.
In 2016, Meadows was sentenced to eight years in state prison for his Downers Grove burglary, served at Vienna Correctional Center in Southern Illinois.
In 2020, Meadows was arrested by Lisle Police for driving with a suspended license.
In 2021, the DuPage County Sheriff arrested Meadows twice-- once for attempting to flee or elude a police officer in a motor vehicle and a second time for unlawful possession of cannabis by a driver.
A "black Ruger P89 9 MM semi-automatic hand gun"
A police report on the Villa Park incident detailed how on Aug. 15, 2010, Meadows went to the Wal-Mart on Route 83 in Villa Park intending to rob a man who had asked to buy marjiuana from him.
Meadows had a "black Ruger P89 9 MM semi-automatic hand gun" and hid his marijuana in his shorts and underwear. Police had to shake them to remove it.
"Officer shook offender Meadows' pants and undergarment until all the green leafy substance was removed along with a clear plastic wrapper," the report said. "(Meadows) was then placed back in the squad."
Villa Park Police found "a clear black pipe used for inhaling (marjiuana)" and "two black goalie masks" from his car.
Meadows told Villa Park he "found the handgun... at 56th and Holmes in Clarendon Hills" and that he "kept the handgun for protection."
His family has hired a personal injury attorney, Robert Fakhouri, who is promising to take legal action against the owner of the property where Meadows and others were gathering,
"One thing they failed to ensure despite the number of people that were gathering was making sure there was proper security measures, safety measures in place, so something doesn't occur that did occur," Fakhouri told ABC-7.
Meadows played football at Hinsdale Central H.S. in 2009 and was listed as a 6'2 185 pound wide receiver on a school roster.
According to his Facebook page, Meadows also attended Downers Grove South H.S. and College of DuPage. He also once worked as a warehouse manager at Naperville diaper bag maker Itzy Ritzy, and at Bolingbrook-based WeatherTech.
-----
Reginald Meadows has had 45 police citations/charges/arrests in DuPage and Will Counties since 2008
Sources: DuPage County Courts, Will County Courts
Alerts Sign-up