Kane County Jail inmate found with 5-inch long metal shank

A Kane County Jail inmate with a history of attacking corrections officers was found possessing a 5-inch long metal shank during a random shakedown at the jail on Aug. 29.

Azreal Lashbrook, 18, of the 300 block of South Eighth Street in Nason, IL., has been charged with a felony count of possession of a weapon in a penal institution. At 3 p.m. Aug. 29, Kane County Sheriff’s corrections officers conducted a random shakedown of the segregation cell block, where inmates with disciplinary issues are held.

During their search of personal, bedding, and clothing items, officers became suspicious of Lashbrook's jail issued sandals, according to a news release from the Kane County Sheriff's Office. Lashbrook was being held without bond for armed violence and was being housed in the segregation unit for having a history of attacking corrections officers, the release stated.

Sheriff’s Corrections officers were able to utilize the jail’s new body scanner to verify the presence of a 5 inch long metal shank concealed within Lashbrook’s sandal, according to the release.

“This is a reminder of the constant danger our deputies and officers face in the course of their duties. Through diligence and relentless attention to detail, they save countless lives every day,” Kane County Sheriff Ron Hain said in the release.

The body scanner purchase was approved by the Kane County Board in March of 2019 when Sheriff Hain requested the acquisition after an influx of contraband, including heroin, into the jail. The body scanner allows for a non-intrusive total body inspection for the presence of concealed items, the release stated.

The Sheriff’s Corrections Criminal Investigation Unit conducted an investigation into the incident. Investigators learned that Lashbrook pulled the piece of metal from inside of a broom head that was used to clean his cell block, according to the release. Those brooms have been removed from the entire facility, the release stated.