Grand jury indicts Elmwood man

By NICK VLAHOS
For The Weekly Post

ELMWOOD – On the Saturday evening before Christmas, a usually quiet neighborhood in Elmwood was anything but that.

Following a five-hour standoff with at least 30 law-enforcement officers, an Elmwood man was arrested after neighbors provided video evidence he fired a gun from a residence.

Christopher R. Coulter, 27, surrendered about 9:30 p.m. Dec. 21 in the 200 block of N. Daniels St. After negotiations failed, authorities used a security vehicle to break open a door and enter the residence. Coulter didn’t put up a fight after that, according to Peoria County Sheriff Chris Watkins.

“It was one of those things where it really upset the neighbors,” he said about the gunfire. “It would be different if he was in the country and he was a legal gun owner, but this was in a residential neighborhood. You can’t do that.”

On Monday, a Peoria County grand jury indicted Coulter for reckless discharge of a firearm and for violating an order of protection, WMBD-TV in Peoria reported. Each charge carries a maximum sentence of three years. Coulter is to appear in court Jan. 15.

On Dec. 21, deputies were dispatched about 4:15 p.m. to Elmwood and were shown video of Coulter shooting from the rear of his residence. Neighbors provided the video. It was not the first time Coulter had fired a gun in that manner, the neighbors told authorities.

Coulter was accused of firing five or six rounds Nov. 22, after which the Elmwood Police Department was summoned.

“The guy denied it. That incident scared the neighbors enough that they put up a camera, and they caught him shooting again,” Watkins said. “You can see it. He shoots in the air in the direction of the neighbors, but over their house.”

It didn’t appear Coulter had a dispute with the neighbors, according to Watkins.

Detectives obtained a search warrant regarding the December incident, based on Coulter’s criminal history. It’s lengthy. Peoria County records list at least 19 law-enforcement encounters with Coulter, most of them traffic violations.

Coulter had an active order of protection against him, according to the sheriff’s office. Peoria Heights police arrested Coulter three times in 2024. Charges included criminal damage to property, disorderly conduct, reckless driving and telephone harassment.

Police established a perimeter around the Daniels Street address, Watkins said. The Central Illinois Emergency Response Team helped negotiate with Coulter, but he refused to come outside. Coulter admitted to drinking alcohol, according to Watkins.

After about 90 minutes, authorities used an attachment on a Lenco BearCat SWAT vehicle to access the house.

“He lied to them. He said he was in Peoria, but they could hear the BearCat on the phone,” Watkins said. “When he quit talking to them, that’s when they decided to breach the door.”

Authorities found the firearm and ammunition inside, although Coulter said he didn’t have a gun and denied shooting one, according to Watkins.

“When we told him we have him on video, he wouldn’t admit to it,” the sheriff said.