Decatur Police Shot A Man Armed With A Knife And BB Gun

By Gwendolyn Purdom in News on Jul 12, 2016 8:56PM

Illinois State police are investigating after two white Decatur Police Department officers shot a black man in the chest on Monday morning, according to the Decatur Police Department. The man, age 40, had a large knife and a BB gun with him, though initial reports said he had a large knife and a handgun, the AP reports.

The man was wounded and listed in serious condition as of Monday.

Jeanelle Norman, president of Decatur's NAACP chapter and a representative for a group that has been working to address police and community relations in Decatur, told the AP that the BB gun looked like a real handgun. "And at nighttime, how do you make a real distinction, is that a BB gun?"

In a press conference Monday morning, Decatur Interim Police Chief James Getz said the officers were responding to reports of a man with a gun when the incident occurred. The man shot had what police thought was a handgun, as well as a large knife strapped to his wrist. While the officers involved were not equipped with body cameras, Getz said on Monday that State Police are reviewing in-car video to see whether any of the incident was captured.

The shooting comes as the nation is reeling following the high-profile officer-involved shooting deaths of two black men last week: Alton Sterling in Louisiana and Philando Castile in Minnesota. Those shootings were immediately followed by sniper shooting that killed five Dallas police officers last week.

Norman acknowledged in Monday morning's Decatur PD press conference that trust in the police was a concern considering national events. She said that her group, Area Leaders and Education Response Team in Decatur, exists to "ensure that the [investigative] process is properly followed."

"The Decatur Police Department is committed to providing a fair, accurate and independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding this officer-involved shooting," Getz said. "We ask that everyone remain peaceful and reserve judgment until all of the facts are known."

We've reached out to Illinois State Police to confirm the handgun initially reported was really a BB gun, and will update this post when we hear back.