University of Illinois police provide update in student death investigation, detail initial response

Note: The video in the player above is from a previous report.

University of Illinois police have released an update on their investigation in the death of an 18-year-old student, who was found dead on the university's campus nearly 10 hours after authorities were contacted regarding concerns over his whereabouts.

Police said that there was no foul play believed to be involved in Akul Dhawan's death and that the death appears to be accidental at this stage of the investigation.

They also released a detailed timeline of how the search for Dhawan unfolded as an investigation into his death — and a subsequent complaint into the police response — remain ongoing.

The situation began when a student called University of Illinois police at around 1:23 a.m. on Jan. 20 and said his roommate, who he hadn't seen for about an hour, was missing. That's when officers began a search of the area where the student was last seen, the student's residence hall and nearby locations.

In an update issued Wednesday, police said that at around 1:30 a.m., officers called the reporting person back and learned that he last had contact with Dhawan around an hour earlier at Busey-Evans Residence Hall, noting that Dhawan possibly left with another group of friends.

Police said the reporting person told the officer that Dhawan was possibly intoxicated, but was "not sure."

Authorities said that officers updated the original dispatch ticket with a physical description of Dhawan just before 1:55 a.m., noting the clothes he was wearing in addition to his approximate height and hair color.

Around 15 minutes later, authorities said an officer documented a search he had conducted up until that point, searching areas near Busey-Evans Residence Hall and Presby Hall, where Dhawan lived, along with the likely path in between.

From there, officials said the officer drove "at a walking pace" along a sidewalk near Bevier Hall and cultural houses on Nevada Street, past Foellinger Auditorium and north across the campus' Main Quad, where authorities said the officer spoke with several people asking if they saw anyone.

The officer continued to search along a sidewalk past Henry Administration Building and Altgeld Hall before driving south on Wright Street to check bus shelters, officials said. From there, the officer drove west on Chalmers Street and north on Fifth Street before looking at exterior areas around Presby Hall.

A UIPD telecommunications search to determine if Dhawan had swiped his student ID at any campus locations turned up negative. Officials said the officer then called the reporting person to update him on his search.

According to police, the reporting person called police again shortly before 3 a.m., saying he had still not heard from Dhawan.

The updated timeline provided by police shows the next update at 4:40 a.m., when a UIPD officer called both Carle Hospital and OSF Heart of Mary Medical Center over the following 10 minutes to inquire whether Dhawan was there, with both hospitals saying he was not.

The officer left a message for Dhawan's roommate just after 4:50 a.m., with no further action from police until 8 a.m., when a UIPD sergeant called and spoke with the reporting person, authorities said.

Shortly after 9:35 a.m., Dhawan's roommate returned the UIPD officer's message and informed him that Dhawan had not returned home.

At approximately 11:08 a.m., Dhawan was discovered unresponsive on concrete steps near a campus building in the 1200 block of West Nevada Street in Urbana by a university employee.

Multiple first responders arrived at the scene in minutes, and Dhawan was pronounced dead shortly after, officials said.

In their subsequent investigation, police said they determined that Dhawan met with friends around 9 p.m. on Jan. 19 at Busey-Evans Residence Hall, when he drank alcohol.

Around an hour later, Dhawan and his friends attended an event at the Canopy Club, located in the 700 block of South Goodwin Avenue in Urbana. At around 10:45 p.m., Dhawan and his friends left and headed toward Green Street, with security video obtained later showing him consuming more alcohol before returning to the Canopy Club.

Police said Dhawan's friends re-entered Canopy Club at around 11:25 p.m. while Dhawan remained outside. Dhawan was denied re-entry by the venue's staff just after 11:30 p.m.,

Authorities said that two different rideshare vehicles were called to pick up Dhawan at around midnight outside Canopy Club. Officials said Dhawan denied both rides, despite venue staff and another bystander attempting to convince him otherwise. Phone calls and text messages sent to Dhawan's phone after this were not returned.

Police said they continue to collect information and security camera footage in their investigation.

Authorities also announced that a civilian complaint into the initial police response is being reviewed and will run concurrent with the death investigation.

There is currently no further information available.