U.S. marshals testify about morning of McHenry County Sheriff’s Deputy Jacob Keltner’s death

A funeral service for McHenry County Sheriff's Deputy Jacob Keltner is held at Woodstock North High School on Wednesday, March 13, 2019. Inset of Floyd E. Brown, who is charged with killing Keltner and attempting to kill another three other members of the Marshals Service task force.

A U.S. marshal repeatedly yelled “shots fired” through a radio when Floyd Brown opened fire at three marshals who stood on the other side of the door to his hotel room, a marshal testified Monday morning.

U.S. Marshal Anthony Catenacci also described learning minutes later that McHenry County Sheriff’s Deputy Jacob Keltner was shot: “Jake’s down, Jake’s down, Jake’s down,” he said he heard through his radio.

Monday marked the fourth day of the federal trial of Brown, 42, of Springfield, who is charged with murder in the shooting of Keltner and attempted murder of three other officers.

Catenacci was one of several U.S. marshals – including Keltner, who worked with the agency in addition to his job as a deputy – who was at the Rockford hotel the morning of March 7, 2019, to serve Brown with an arrest warrant out of Bloomington.

Brown, who also faces weapons charges, was with his girlfriend, had been hiding out from police in the Extended Stay America hotel since Dec. 27, prosecutors said.

When three marshals – Mike Flannery, Michael Schulte and Daniel Kramer – banged on the door of room 305, announcing they were there with a warrant for Brown’s arrest, Brown shot at the door with a rifle, prosecutors said in opening arguments last week.

McHenry County Sheriff's Deputy Jacob Keltner

Schulte also testified Monday, saying he was outside the hotel door with Kramer and Flannery when Flannery knocked on the door of Brown’s hotel room and announced repeatedly, “U.S. marshals, Floyd Brown, we have a warrant for your arrest.”

They attempted to use a key card to open the door, but the security lock was engaged, he said. Officers yelled out to either open the door or they would breach it.

The first thing Schulte said he heard from inside the room was Brown yelling, “Don’t do it. Don’t do it.”

Brown’s girlfriend eventually came to the door and opened it a few inches, just enough to see part of her face and neck and said a couple of times, “I just want to come out,” he testified.

“As soon as she said she ‘just wanted to come out,’ [Brown] started shooting through the door,” Schulte said. “Immediately, the door slammed shut.”

Schulte paused and became emotional as he recalled the hail of gunfire from Brown’s assault rifle.

“I glanced down and … I could see bullets almost in slow motion coming through the door,” he said. “I was seeing them go into the room across the hall. It was almost like I could see the bullets in slow motion crossing the hallway.”

A program is tucked inside an officer's hat. Funeral services for McHenry County Deputy Sheriff Jacob Keltner is held at Woodstock North High School on Wednesday, March 13, 2019.

He said he did not count how many bullets were fired but they were “non-stop, shot after shot after shot for a period of time. I saw shots come through the door … through the wall on both sides of the door.”

The marshals took cover and called Keltner and Catenacci, who were outside on opposite sides of the hotel, to call 911. Schulte said neither he nor Flannery or Kramer ever shot their guns.

Prosecutors said Keltner called 911, but when the operator answered, he had already been shot and did not respond.

After shooting at the door, Brown jumped out of the hotel room window, authorities said. He then ran in the direction of his vehicle when he encountered Keltner and allegedly shot and killed him.

Brown’s defense attorneys said Brown did not shoot Keltner and he was too injured from the fall from the window to have been able to shoot him.

During Monday’s testimony, the 911 call made from Keltner’s phone was played. The only voice heard was the operator’s who answered, repeatedly saying, “911, what’s your emergency?” and “Hello.” The only other sound heard on the phone call was a car horn beeping.

Audio of Catenacci’s 911 call also was played in the courtroom where Keltner’s family, friends and colleagues were visibly emotional.

Catenacci can be heard telling the 911 operator that Brown was shooting and there is a possible hostage situation because there is a woman in his room. He also is heard reporting an officer is down.

After leaving the hotel, Brown led police on a chase that ended in Lincoln where, after a five-hour standoff, he was arrested.

If convicted, Brown could be sentenced to life in prison. He also faces the charges for which the warrants were being served and state murder charges in Winnebago County.