ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) — Floyd Brown, the man sentenced to 55 years in prison for the murder of McHenry County Deputy Jacob Keltner in federal court will not face similar charges in Illinois courts.

Winnebago County State’s Attorney J. Hanley announced a decision to drop charges against Brown on Friday, citing his conviction at the federal level for the killing of Keltner on March 7, 2019, during an arrest attempt at a Rockford hotel.

On August 29, 2022, a jury found Brown guilty on 8 charges in total, including attempted murder of a federal officer, possession of a firearm by a felon, discharge of a firearm, and forcible assault of an officer.

Brown was wanted by the U.S. Marshals for a series of burglaries in the Bloomington area in December 2018. He was tracked to the Extended Stay America hotel in Rockford when he opened fire as the Marshals knocked on his hotel room door, killing Keltner. Brown escaped from the scene and fled south until he crashed and engaged in a standoff with police on I-55.

In court, Brown admitted to shooting at the hotel room’s door.

“After much consideration, including a review of the applicable legal issues and conversations with Deputy Keltner’s widow, State’s Attorney Hanley decided to forego prosecuting Brown under Illinois law,” the State’s Attorney’s Office said Friday.

“There are legal and practical considerations that weigh against a State prosecution. Further, this difficult decision accounts for the toll a second prosecution would take on the Keltner family,” Hanley said in a statement.

Keltner was hired by the McHenry County Sheriff’s Department in 2006. Part of I-90 has since been renamed in his honor.