RACINE COUNTY – A Chicago man, who had a seizure while on a bus traveling through Racine County on Tuesday, was taken to a hospital for treatment and later charged with possession of a firearm by a felon.
Devante Mauri Dawson, 26, was held in the Racine County Jail as of Wednesday afternoon. The weapons charge carries enhancements for being a repeat offender and for possessing a firearm as a felon.
According to the criminal complaint, a Wisconsin State Trooper observed traffic on Interstate 94 northbound at the Highway KR exit ramp about 10 a.m. Tuesday. A northbound Greyhound bus stopped on the shoulder near the trooper’s squad. The driver got out and told the officer that a passenger was having a seizure.
The officer boarded the bus and found the passenger, later identified as Dawson, sitting in the center aisle. The seizure appeared to have stopped, and he was breathing properly.
The officer contacted emergency medical personnel who, upon arrival, examined Dawson and determined that he should be transported to Ascension All Saints Hospital in Racine for further treatment. An additional Wisconsin State Trooper and a Racine County Sheriff’s deputy assisted. As Dawson was taken from the bus, the deputy gathered his personal belongings. The deputy felt “a hard metal object” in a backpack belonging to Dawson. The object was a Sig Sauer Model P320 semi-automatic handgun with a loaded magazine.
A records check revealed that Dawson had been convicted of two felonies in Illinois and was not permitted to possess a firearm. He also holds habitual offender status.
Dawson made an initial appearance on Wednesday afternoon, where a cash bond was set at $250. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Nov. 25 at the Racine County Law Enforcement Center, 717 Wisconsin Ave., Racine.
