DANVILLE — Community members awoke to the sounds of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) executing search and arrest warrants in Danville.
“It was 6:03 in the morning,” Tanya Fields said about being woken up with a bang. She shared with the Commercial-News videos her son, Dakota Fields, took from inside their home.
In the videos, you can clearly hear and see what looks like some sort of flash-bang device, and an agent saying, “Residents of … Tennessee Avenue this is the FBI with a warrant. Come to the door with your hands up.”
“That older son of mine started recording,” Tanya Fields said. “He’s the braver, older one. He’s like, I’m recording this.”
She said she wanted Dakota to give her the video because “it scared me.” She said the loud noises and bangs woke her up in a fright.
“It was not a good way to wake up,” Tanya Fields added.
As for whether she had any idea about why there were federal agents in her neighborhood, she was not sure.
“I’m pretty sure he probably had a warrant, and it was probably something to do with drugs or something,” Fields said she had read the Springfield FBI Facebook post about conducting arrests and searches in the area.
She added that the post was up around 2 hours after she was awoken. “I mean, we had no warning at all.”
She said the neighbors were pretty quiet, and one of her sons is friends with one of the children who visited during the summer from Chicago.
“He only comes down in the summers, and he plays with that kid, and everything’s always been fine,” Tanya Fields said. “I mean, they’re pretty quiet people. They sit on their porch sometimes, but I don’t see any drug activity or any signs of that, and I’ve lived here since 2018.”
She said the experience has made her think highly of anyone in a military combat situation.
“I told my kid’s father, I’m like, if that literally is what its like over there — they’re the bravest men and women I’ve ever met or can see in my life, because that’s scary,” Tanya Fields said. “And there were a lot of them. There were at least 10 people.”
Danville Mayor Rickey Williams Jr. said he was not aware of any law enforcement activity until Wednesday morning.
“From most of the feedback that I’ve had from folks, they’ve seen this as really positive, because they know that we’re using every available resource to make Danville as safe as possible,” Williams said. “I can tell you anytime that we get help to make Danville safe, you know, it’s good.”
On Facebook early Wednesday morning, the FBI shared on their Springfield page a post about their presence in the area conducting searches and arrests. The Danville Police Department and State police assisted with the Springfield FBI officers in conducting the raids.
“The Danville Police Department will continue to partner with and assist other agencies to reduce violent crime and drug activity that has a negative impact to the quality of life of the citizens in our community,” said Danville Police Chief Christopher Yates in an official DPD release.
The FBI was contacted but did not provide additional information.