Timothy Charlton has been a Rockford police officer since 2018.

He was present and working outside District 1 on May 30th, 2020. During the day, there was the first protest in Rockford following the murder of George Floyd. Thousands of local residents marched in the streets of downtown Rockford after a rally that started at Haskell Park.

At Haskell, speeches of unity and calls for justice were made. Some speakers were relatives of those who had been killed by local police.

The protest went past City Hall, the old and new courthouse before ending up at District 1.

At District 1 was a police department under then-District 1 commander Kurt Whisenand. The plan was to have all officers inside the building in case the protesters attempted to break into the police station. Also waiting to be activated was the SWAT team loaded with OC spray, pepper spray bullets, bean bag shotguns, tasers, batons, riot gear, and shields in military vehicles.

Also waiting nearby was the full Winnebago County Sheriff's Department. Loaded with similar less-lethal equipment, these officers remained at the Criminal Justice Center in case the protest returned there. Once it became clear that the protest was to remain at District 1, officers slowly left to join RPD.

After more speeches from community members, a small portion of demonstrators began to throw items at the building. This caused a few broken windows and they took the badge off the police sign outside the building.

This minor damage is what the City of Rockford used to justified sending in the SWAT team.

Rockford police officers exited the building loaded with less-lethal equipment beginning to form a skirmish line.

This increased police presence caused the size of the protest to dwindle down to roughly 200.

Officers began to make arrests after they announced the protest was over and all demonstrators had to leave.

In order to make these arrests, they slammed nonviolent people to the ground, tasered them multiple times, beat individuals with shields, and hit them repeatedly.

Late into the evening, as RPD and WCSD cops were marching down the streets in riot gear, beating on cars with batons and telling the occupants they had to leave the area, an unknown man approached a group of officers holding a metal trash can.

In this group was Charlton in full tactical gear, armed with a less-lethal shotgun.

Officers were smashing the windows of a car while this man raised and threw the trash can at the cops, hitting Corey Roser. Charlton, seeing this, fired his bean bag shotgun, hitting the man in the right leg. He fired again, hitting the man in the right leg.

The man turned and ran, causing Charlton to fire two more shots, this time missing. According to Charlton, the man ran, picked up a rock, then turned back towards the group of cops. Charlton fired another round before the man ran out of sight.

Behind Charlton, officers were beating some of the vehicle's occupants to the ground, where RPD officers used batons, punched, and kicked the individuals before putting them in cuffs.

On January 5th, 2021, Charlton transported Denzel Dunivant, a man beaten and arrested by the Rockford SCOPE team, from the hospital to the Winnebago County Jail.

On February 17th, 2021, at 4 a.m., Charlton was part of a team of officers under Spencer Berke and Eddie Torrance who were sent to the Occupation at City Hall to steal blankets, chairs, sleeping bags, and other materials to keep the protesters warm.

At 4 a.m., it was -8 degrees outside.

At that time, the Occupation that had started after Tyris Jones was shot multiple times in the back by RPD officer Dominick McNiece was on Day 138 of a 24/7 occupation at City Hall. McNiece had already been found justified in the shooting and returned to work, where he initiated the beating of Denzel Dunivant, who he saw walking down the sidewalk in Fairgrounds and according to McNiece looked like he had a warrant. The only description McNiece gave of Denzel was a black man with dreadlocks.

In 2019, Charlton made $ 74,020 in salary + $11,197 in overtime = $ 85,217 + $8,060 in health insurance + $1,007 FICA + $30,497 pension pay + $2,688 in workers comp.

In 2020, they made $76,391 in salary + $10,325 in overtime = $86,715 + $8,450 in health insurance + $33,025 in pension pay.

In 2021, they made $86,001 in salary + $12,876 in overtime = $98,877 + $8,320 in health insurance + $34,932 in pension pay.

In 2022, they made $88,862 in salary + $18,866 in overtime = $107,728 + $8,450 in health insurance + $39,700 in pension pay.

In 2023, they made $90,519 in salary + $29,263 in overtime = $119,782 + $8,450 n health insurance + $46,059 in pension pay.

In 2024, they made $42,083 in salary + $6,562 in overtime = $48,645.

If you or anyone you know has been abused, harassed or otherwise mistreated by this officer please email us with the officers name in the subject.