Elk Grove Village police officers cleared in fatal shooting of 24-year-old Jack Murray

The video above is from previous FOX 32 coverage of this story.

COOK COUNTY — Elk Grove Village police officers who fatally shot a 24-year-old man in 2023 have been cleared of wrongdoing following an independent investigation, officials announced on Thursday.

However, the man's family still has a civil lawsuit against the police department pending in court.

What we know:

The Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office and the Illinois State’s Attorneys Appellate Prosecutor determined that Elk Grove Village officers "acted appropriately" when they shot and killed Jack Murray on Dec. 1, 2023, according to a news release from Elk Grove Village Mayor Craig Johnson.

On that day, police responded to a 911 call from Murray at a residence in the 200 block of Fern Drive. In the call, Murray said someone at the home had a knife and was "going to hurt someone."

When police arrived at the scene, they confronted Murray – who was holding a large knife – outside. He reportedly ignored multiple commands to drop the knife.

Officers initially attempted to subdue him with two Taser deployments, but neither was effective. As Murray continued advancing toward officers, they fired their weapons.

Officials said the officers immediately performed first aid until paramedics arrived, but Murray did not survive.

Family members of Murray said they believe he may have been suffering an emotional disturbance brought on by his Type 1 diabetes.

Jack Murray

The Investigation

The Elk Grove Village Police Department requested assistance from the Major Case Assistance Team (MCAT), a regional investigative unit.

MCAT conducted an independent review of the case, which was then examined by the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office and the Illinois State’s Attorneys Appellate Prosecutor. The findings confirmed that the officers’ actions were consistent with all applicable laws and policies, officials said.

Mayor Johnson said the officers "acted in a way that was appropriate" given the threat to their safety. He also emphasized that the officers involved had received crisis intervention, mental health, and de-escalation training prior to the shooting.

"While this incident was a tragedy, we are grateful that our officers adhered to their training by taking steps to de-escalate the situation and attempting to use less-than-lethal force," Johnson said in a statement.

What's next:

Despite the findings, Murray’s family still has a wrongful death lawsuit against the Elk Grove Village Police Department pending in court.

"This was a very sad and tragic incident for our community and we continue to offer our condolences to Mr. Murray’s family and loved ones," Mayor Johnson said.