An Illinois mayor says video of a police-involved shooting that left a 19-year-old black man dead and his girlfriend hospitalized will be released in the coming days, according to a report.
Waukegan Mayor Sam Cunningham said Sunday that city officials plan to release police video of Tuesday’s shooting that killed Marcellis Stinnette, 19, and wounded his girlfriend, Tafara Williams, 20, once their relatives can see the footage first, the Lake County News-Sun reported.
Cunningham said he hopes the recordings are disseminated ahead of a Freedom of Information Act request that has a Thursday deadline, the newspaper reported.
“We want to beat the FOIA request,” Cunningham said following a prayer vigil held where Stinnette and Williams were shot by an unidentified Hispanic officer who was fired last week.
The officer, who had been with the department for five years, has not been identified, but was terminated Friday for multiple policy violations with the mayor’s “approval.”
Police Chief Wayne Walles also briefly spoke at Sunday’s vigil, calling the fatal shooting a “terrible incident” while extolling the power of prayer and offering his condolences to the victims’ families.
Williams, who was shot in the abdomen and arm but is expected to recover, spoke to a crowd of about 200 during a rally on Saturday from her hospital bed, saying she’s fighting “to be strong” for the couple’s 7-month-old son.
“Don’t allow them to do this to us,” Williams said as her mother, Clifftina Johnson, held a megaphone to her cellphone. “No justice, no peace. I won’t sleep until Marcellis gets justice. He didn’t deserve it, and they waited for him to die. No justice, no peace. And my son don’t have a father no more, but I’m fighting for him, and I’m in his hospital, and I’m trying to be strong.”
The unidentified officer was approaching the pair’s car when it started moving in reverse, prompting him to open fire while fearing for his safety. No weapon was found inside the vehicle, police have said.
Lake County State’s Attorney Michael Nerheim said he did not have an update Sunday on when the probe into the shooting may be finished. He initially said the investigation could take several weeks, the News-Sun reported.
With Post Wires