Ex-Illinois cop charged in 2020 fatal shooting of Black man

WAUKEGAN, Ailing. (AP) — A former suburban Chicago police officer who was fired after he shot right into a automotive two years in the past, killing a Black man and significantly wounding the person’s girlfriend, has been charged with second-degree homicide and involuntary manslaughter, authorities introduced on Thursday.

In a information launch, the Lake County State’s Legal professional’s workplace stated it had unsealed grand jury indictments in opposition to former Waukegan police Officer Dante Salinas within the Oct. 20, 2020, taking pictures that killed a 19-year-old native man, Marcellis Stinnette, and wounded his girlfriend, Tafara Williams, in accordance with the Lake County State’s Legal professional’s workplace. Salinas additionally was indicted on felony counts of aggravated battery inflicting nice bodily hurt and official misconduct.

On the evening of the taking pictures, one other Waukegan officer stopped the couple’s automotive and was questioning them when Williams abruptly drove off, in accordance with investigators. The officer pursued them and Salinas responded to his name for assist and joined the chase.

Williams drove off a roadway and crashed, then put her automotive in reverse in an try to depart the realm, the Lake County State’s Legal professional’s workplace stated in a information launch Thursday.

Salinas had climbed out of his squad automotive and was not within the path of Williams’ automotive however he “fired a number of photographs into the driving force’s facet of the automobile because it continued to reverse previous him,” in accordance with the information launch.

Williams was wounded and Stinnette, who prosecutors stated had dedicated no crime, was killed.

An skilled analyzing the trajectory of the bullets was in a position to decide the situation of Salinas and the trajectory of his bullets, Lake County State’s Legal professional Eric Rinehart stated within the assertion.

Salinas surrendered to authorities on Thursday and a decide ordered that he be held on $350,000 bond, prosecutors stated. Second-degree homicide carries a most jail sentence of 20 years and manslaughter carries a most time period of 5 years. If Salinas is convicted of each prices, the sentences would run concurrently.

Douglas Zeit, an lawyer who represented Salinas in courtroom on Thursday, declined to remark when reached by telephone.

Williams has been charged with aggravated fleeing. She turned herself in to authorities as nicely and a decide ordered that she be launched on a $50,000 recognizance bond.

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