A Mt. Morris man was found guilty Wednesday, Feb. 18, of one felony count of resisting arrest in connection with an August 2025 incident near the Oregon school campus.

An Ogle County jury found Franklin T. Houston, 28, previously of Rockford, guilty of the Class 4 felony offense of injuring a police officer while resisting arrest and the misdemeanor offenses of resisting a police officer and disorderly conduct following the 2-day trial at the Ogle County Judicial Center in Oregon.

The 6-woman, 6-man jury found Houston not guilty of another felony count of injuring the same police officer during the same incident and misdemeanor criminal trespass.

The charges accused Houston of injuring Oregon Police Officer Breanna Wakeland while she was attempting to take him into custody during an Aug. 22, 2025, incident.

Court documents say Wakeland suffered a cut to her thumb and sprained her wrist while attempting to take Houston into custody with four other officers. The misdemeanor charges accused Houston of trespassing when he entered the Oregon Elementary School at 1150 Jefferson St. after classes had ended.

The disorderly conduct charge accused him of alarming the school district’s cheerleading coach when she saw him sitting in a stall of a restroom in a girls locker room, claiming he was a student.

“He had no business being inside the girls locker room and he clearly alarmed the coach,” Assistant Ogle County State’s Attorney Matthew Leisten told jurors in his closing argument.

Leisten said Houston displayed “erratic behavior” and left the school on his bicycle before being approached by a police officer at the Oregon Park West skate park, located west of the elementary school. Leisten said Houston rode away from the officer, riding his bike through a nearby residential area before being stopped again at 14th Street.

He said Houston ignored repeated demands by police and his actions caused Wakeland to be injured when he was taken into custody.

“The scratch on her thumb was caused by his conduct as he resisted arrest. It is clear he trespassed. He is guilty of all charges,” Leisten argued.

Assistant Ogle County Public Defender Brandon Gecan argued that Houston left the school building when he was told to leave by the coach.

“She didn’t say he seemed dangerous,” Gecan told the jurors, adding that Houston entered the school to use the bathroom and change clothes. “He left when he was told to leave.”

Gecan said Houston was first approached at the skate park by an officer who said he only wanted to speak with him in what Gecan called an “investigative stop”. He said it was clear, as indicated in body camera footage, that Houston did not want to talk to police.

When more officers arrived after Houston was stopped on his bike in the residential area, Houston became more “visibly agitated”, Gecan said.

“They said nothing and just started walking toward him,” Gecan said. “He even says ‘what are you doing?’ and Officer Wakeland says ‘You’re going to find out’”.

Gecan said Houston clutched his cell phone and went into a defensive “turtle-like” posture.

“He’s not doing anything aggressive to these officers at this time,” said Gecan. “I’m not saying they didn’t have the authority to do that, but I am saying maybe they could have gone about it in a different way. He’s curling up in a turtle shell.”

Gecan said Wakeland’s injuries were caused when she and four other police officers threw Houston to the ground to handcuff him and take him into custody.

Gecan said Houston had scrapes on his arms that were bleeding when he was booked into the Ogle County Jail.

“Use your common sense,” Gecan told jurors. “He didn’t cause the cut or the sprained wrist.”

Leisten disagreed.

“He knew what he did. He knew why police wanted to talk with him. His behavior constantly escalated and he repeatedly ignored their directions. It is clear he caused the officer’s injury,” said Leisten. “He should be found guilty of all charges.”

The jury deliberated for two hours and 30 minutes before reaching their verdict Wednesday afternoon.

Associate Judge Anthony Peska remanded Houston to the Ogle County Jail, ordered a pre-sentencing report, and scheduled Houston’s sentencing hearing for 1:30 p.m. April 9.

Houston could be sentenced to 1-6 years in prison or probation and fined up to $25,000.