According to a CNN report, Police Chief Wayne Walles has fired the officer who shot and killed an unarmed 19 year old Marcellis Stinnette and injured his girlfriend 20-year-old Tafara Williams; after Protests took place this weekend in the Chicago suburb of Waukegan.
“The City of Waukegan terminated the officer that discharged his firearm during that incident, for multiple policy and procedure violations,” Waukegan Police Chief Wayne Walles said Friday in a news release, without detailing those violations or naming the officer.
ABC 7 Chicago was able to speak to Tafara Williams from her hospital bed where she is recovering from her gunshot wounds. She was obviously very upset and traumatized by what happened to her and her now-deceased boyfriend.
“Why did you shoot? I didn’t do nothing wrong,” Williams says in the video. “I have a license. You didn’t tell me I was under arrest. Why did you just flame up my car like that? Why did you shoot?
This case has been relinquished to the Illinois State Police who will conduct an investigation into the details of the shooting.
Tafara and Marcellis Stinnette were accosted by a Waukegan officer after someone reported a car with “suspicious” people inside. When a still-unidentified second officer came to assist the first-on-scene responder, Tafara put the car in reverse moving toward him. The officer then opened fire striking both Tafara and Marcellis. Both were taken to the hospital where Marcellis died.
https://twitter.com/dudgedudy/status/1320116389630410752?s=21
However, no one trusts the Illinois State Police to conduct an impartial investigation. Especially not members of Marcellis’ family-like Satrese Stallworth;
“We are seeking that someone be held accountable because this looks like murder…The police cannot police the police,” Stallworth said, “they cannot investigate and they cannot give us fair justice.”