An 36-year-old Aurora man has been sentenced to six and a half years of imprisonment in the Illinois Department of Corrections after having been found guilty of punching a police officer.
Last December, a jury convicted Zackery L. Moore of the offenses of Aggravated Battery to a Peace Officer Causing Great Bodily Harm (Class 1 felony) and Resisting a Peace Officer (Class A misdemeanor).
According to the prosecution, on the evening of August 6, 2024, Aurora police received a 911 call for service describing a suspicious person pacing north and south along North Farnsworth Avenue near the intersection with Coolidge Avenue. Aurora Police Officer Clausing responded to the scene, where he observed a male matching the description, later identified as Moore. Officer Clausing approached him and gave him multiple lawful orders to stop, which Moore ignored.
Officer Clausing attempted to grab hold of Moore to stop him, and Moore struck Officer Clausing in the left side of the face before fleeing, running eastbound on Coolidge Avenue and leaving Officer Clausing injured, bleeding, and in need of an ambulance. Officer Clausing radioed for support, and additional Aurora Police Officers quickly arrived. Moore was taken into custody near Parkside Ave despite his continued active resistance.
Officer Clausing was transported to a nearby hospital, where he was treated for multiple facial fractures.
Moore was detained in the Kane County jail pending trial. Five months later, on January 23, 2025, Moore refused to lock down in his jail cell after returning from a court date. Officers from the Kane County Sheriff’s Office observed Moore acting agitated and calling them derogatory slurs. Moore refused repeated orders from multiple officers to allow them to secure him in his cell. Moore pushed his cell door open and grabbed hold of an officer by the waist and underarm area, pushing the officer forcefully back into a table and refusing to cease his grip until he was drive-stunned using a TASER.
In accordance with Illinois law, Moore is eligible for day-for-day sentencing. Moore receives credit for 576 days served in the Kane County jail.
“Moore’s actions were a direct attack on the men and women who risk their lives every day to protect this community,” Kane County State’s Attorney Jamie Mosser said. Throughout this case, he showed no remorse for his conduct, and today’s sentence reflects the seriousness of that violence. Police officers must be able to carry out their duties without being assaulted, and our office will always stand firmly behind them when they are harmed in the line of duty. I was proud to personally prosecute this case to make it clear that the safety of our officers is a priority for this office.”
