NEWS RELEASE
City of Carbondale, Illinois
August 5, 2026
For Immediate Release
CARBONDALE – On August 5, 2026, at 12:35 p.m., City of Carbondale Police Officers responded to the 600 block of East Walnut Street for a report of a robbery in progress at a local business.  Officers learned the female suspect approached the victim, displayed what appeared to be a firearm, and demanded money. The suspect fled from the business with the victim’s property.  Officers quickly responded to the area utilizing all available resources to locate a potentially armed and dangerous person.

Officers located the suspect,  still armed with what appeared to be a firearm, in the area and were able to disarm and arrest her after a brief foot chase.

The suspect, Stacy K. Cole, 33 of St. Louis, MO, was arrested for Armed Robbery and Resisting a Peace Officer and incarcerated in the Jackson County Jail pending a detention hearing. 

Chief Copeland stated, "I am extremely proud of the outstanding professionalism and dedication demonstrated by our police officers today. They responded swiftly to an extremely dangerous situation and handled it with skill and restraint, protecting the lives of everyone involved while safely apprehending an armed suspect.
I also want to express my sincere appreciation to the members of our community who acted quickly by calling 911 and providing valuable information that assisted officers during the incident. Their vigilance and cooperation played an important role in helping ensure a safe and successful outcome".
 
There were no injuries reported during the incident, and a Civic Alert was sent advising the public to avoid the area during the investigation. Anyone with information about the incident is encouraged to contact the police department at the numbers listed below.  The investigation is active and ongoing.

Anyone with information about the incident is encouraged to contact the City of Carbondale Police Department at (618) 549-2121. You may also call the Carbondale/SIU Crime Stoppers anonymous tip line at (618) 549-COPS (2677) or the Murphysboro/Jackson County anonymous tip line at (618) 687-COPS (2677). Anonymous tips may also be made by selecting the “Crime Stoppers” tab on this website’s main page. Please help yourself and your county, its communities, and the university campus by using these numbers if you witness or have any information about a crime. Cash rewards for information that leads to an arrest are also made anonymously. Remember, crime doesn’t pay, but Crime Stoppers does! For more information about Crime Stoppers, please follow the QR Code.
 
The mission of the Carbondale Police Department is to work in partnership with our community to preserve life, protect human rights, protect property and improve quality of life by providing police service to all in a fair, sensitive, and professional manner.