Updated 8:30am, 10/28/24
A man can only be pushed so far and Carmi business owner and Unit 5 School Board member Kenny Hargrave had apparently had enough Friday evening. While awaiting an official police report, witness accounts and those familiar with the situation painted a fairly clear picture of what happened. Video of the event has been shared on social media.
It was in June of this year when David and Minerva Lovell went to a school board meeting following an incident at the school their child attends. A complaint was filed with the Illinois State Board of Education in September of 2023 after an incident at Washington Attendance Center where the Lovell’s child was restrained and taken to a separate room. The incident was witnessed by multiple people and recorded on a body cam by a School Resource Officer. Washington was found guilty for failing to properly report the incident.
The Lovells have not been satisfied and David himself earlier this month on Friday, October 4th, was seen pacing outside Washington Attendance Center with a sign that read, “Don’t let the schools lock your kid in a closet. Ask me.” Signs with similar wording have been hanging from a trailer parked outside the Lovell home for months now.
On Friday night, it’s alleged Lovell parked a truck in the gravel lot across from Fifth Street Market, a business owned by Hargrave. Witnesses say and the official police report confirms police told Lovell he had to move it because it was private property going so far as to issue them a citation due to a prior no trespassing warning. Lovell responded by moving the vehicle onto the street directly in front of the grocery store to block patrons from parking there. Police say that’s what caused the verbal argument which escalated into a physical altercation. Hargrave can be seen on video delivering three right-handed blows to David Lovell.
Hargrave was arrested and booked into the White County Jail around a quarter after 7pm. He’s facing two counts of Aggravated Battery. He would subsequently be released on Saturday just shy of a day behind bars. In those 24 hours, supporters took to social media expressing their support for Hargrave and sharing posts saying, “Free Hargrave”.
Hargrave joined the school board in May of 2023 following the election. Minerva Lovell also ran but didn’t receive enough votes for a seat.
Police say additional arrests could result.
