Bodycam footage released in Macomb officer's fatal shooting of man, 4-year-old; no charges filed
WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT. VIEWER DISCRETION IS STRONGLY ADVISED.
Bodycam footage released in Macomb officer's fatal shooting of 4-year-old
Authorities released bodycam footage Monday of a police shooting that left a 57-year-old man and a 4-year-old boy dead in Macomb last March. WARNING: Footage contains graphic content of a shooting incident involving law enforcement officers, which may be disturbing to some viewers. Viewer discretion is strongly advised.
MACOMB, Ill. — Bodycam footage of an officer-involved shooting that resulted in the deaths of a man and a child in Macomb, Ill. earlier this year was released this week.
At about 10:03 p.m. on March 16, the Macomb Police Department and members of the Western Illinois University Police Department responded to the 900 block of North Charles for an active domestic violence incident.
A female victim was stabbed multiple times and was able to escape, police said. She was taken to an area hospital for treatment.
When officers arrived, they encountered a man with a knife, who ducked out of view of officers and emerged holding a four-year-old child in front of his body. The man was holding a knife around the child's throat and another around the waist, police said.
One of the police officers fired one shot from his firearm and both the man and the child suffered fatal gunshot wounds.
The McDonough County Coroner identified the man as 57-year-old Anthony T. George. The child was not identified.
The officers involved were placed on administrative leave pending the results of an investigation.
The McDonough County State's Attorney requested an independent prosecuting agency, the Illinois State's Attorneys Appellate Prosecutor's Office, to conduct a formal review of the incident to determine if criminal charges were warranted against any law enforcement officers involved.
After reviewing the evidence in the case, the special prosecutor determined that there was no basis for criminal action or prosecution against any officers involved.
Following the completed investigation, the Macomb Police Department released body-cam footage this week which showed the fatal shooting.
The Macomb Police Department is currently conducting an internal investigation of its own. Those results will be released once the investigation is completed.