Information on Friday incident from the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office–
On Friday June 13, 2025 Fayette County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a disturbance in St. Peter, Fayette County, Illinois. Deputies responding to 1202 E. Third Street received information that employees working on utility lines were involved with a verbal dispute with a resident. The resident, identified as Dustin W. Knott was reported as attempting to steal a service truck and remove it from his property.
Upon deputies’ arrival, victims and witnesses were spoken to across the road at a neighboring property. Deputies were advised that while working on fiber optic lines, Dustin Knott came outside and began yelling and being aggressive at the workers who were parked in Knott’s driveway. Knott then entered the vehicle while a female employee was inside the trailer and began driving the vehicle off the property. The female employee was able to exit the vehicle safely and when Knott saw the female he stopped the vehicle. Knott advised that had she not been present he was going to drive the vehicle and trailer through the fence. Knott then went back inside his residence.
Deputies went to the residence and attempted to make contact with Dustin Knott. It was also made known to deputies on scene that Knott had an active arrest warrant out of Fayette County. The warrant was for Dustin Knott located at the address of 1202 E. Third Street St. Peter, IL. Multiple attempts were made to get Knott to come to the door and turn himself into law enforcement. Deputies on scene were able to verify that Knott was still inside the residence by the complainants and witnesses that deputies had spoken to previously. Fayette County States Attorneys Office was then contacted to confirm that there was enough probable cause to make entry into the residence and take Knott into custody.
Entry was made into the residence after having to move and navigate around items that had been used to barricade the door. Entry was momentarily delayed into the residence as a large aggressive dog was near the doorway. The large aggressive dog eventually retreated to the second floor where Knott was presumed to be as well once the first floor had been cleared. Due to not knowing the layout of the second floor, the location of the dog, or weapons that may have been inside the residence deputies made the determination to secure the stairwell and await backup.
Once more units arrived on scene, it was determined that the ILEAS Special Incident Response Team (SIRT) would be contacted to apprehend Knott. The 1st floor was secured along with the perimeter around the residence while a search warrant was sought and obtained for Knott. Numerous attempts were made while on standby to make verbal contact with Knott for a peaceful surrender. Once Knott did speak to law enforcement at the bottom of the stairs, he became aggravated, threatened officers with physical harm if they attempted to come upstairs and threw an unknown item at officers’ downstairs. This item did not strike any officers. Knott began banging around upstairs as if he was barricading himself further.
ILEAS SIRT arrived on scene a short time later and began a system of callouts for Knott to come downstairs and turn himself in peacefully. After multiple attempts by P/A system, siren and speaking to Knott from downstairs Knott was taken into custody without incident.
Knott is currently being held in Fayette County Jail and has been charged with Threatening a Public Official, Obstruction of Justice, Aggravated Assault to a Peace Officer, and Possession of a Vicious/Unsterilized Dog by a Felon.
All subjects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Sheriff Ronnie Stevens
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