Terrence Shannon Jr. alleged rape case occurred at Jayhawk Café in Lawrence

LAWRENCE (KSNT) – Court documents are shedding new light on the arrest and subsequent suspension of a University of Illinois basketball player for an alleged rape that occurred in Lawrence.

Court documents detail evidence gathered by the Lawrence Police Department during its investigation into allegations against Terrence Shannon Jr. who was charged with rape in December last year. The case stems from an alleged incident that took place while Shannon was in the City of Lawrence for a Kansas vs. Illinois football game on Friday, Sept. 8.

The Illinois’ basketball team suspended Shannon in light of the allegations against him. The charge of rape carries a possible sentence of up to 54 years in prison.

An affidavit released in January from the Seventh Judicial District in Kansas outlines the police investigation that lead the Douglas County Attorney’s Office to charge Shannon with rape. The report alleges that law enforcement first learned a possible sex crime had taken place at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 9.

The crime allegedly happened earlier in the day on Sept. 9 at the Jayhawk Café’s Martini Room. Testimony from the alleged victim indicates a crowd of people were in the room when the allegedly crime occurred.

The victim told police she was groped and raped by a man she later identified as Shannon in a interview with law enforcement. She reported the entire incident lasted only around a minute before she left and made a report at a local hospital.

Court documents state law enforcement corroborated the victim’s story with other witnesses, cell phone records and a surveillance video from inside the café.

On Friday, Jan. 12, lawyers representing Shannon and the University of Illinois went to federal court for arguments over Shannon’s suspension from the basketball team, according to a report from WCIA. Shannon’s lawyers allege that the university has not afforded Shannon any due process in suspending him. His first court hearing is scheduled on Jan. 18 in Douglas County.

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