According to police, an Illinois police officer who shot and killed 19-year-old Blake, who was sitting in a car that was retaliating against the officer, has been fired from police.
The officer, who could not be identified in public, was fired Friday night, said Van Wes Les, police chief in Ill., 40 miles from Chicago.
Chief Ves Les said in a statement on Friday that “the City of Walking has terminated an officer who dropped his weapon during the incident, for violating several policies and procedures.”
Illinois State Police said Thursday they are investigating the murder of Marcellus Steinette, a man in the passenger seat of a car that arrived on the officer’s route.
Once the investigation is complete, it will be submitted to Lake County State Attorney Michael Nerham’s office for review.
Mr Nerham said he told the Justice Department on Wednesday, the day after the shooting, to “review the circumstances surrounding the incident.”
He said the Justice Department has agreed to investigate the case.
“I am confident in the work being done by the Illinois State Police and welcome the assistance of the FBI,” Mr. Nehham said in a statement. “As I said before, once the investigation is complete, all the evidence will be reviewed and a final decision will be made taking into account any possible charges.”
Mr Nerham said it was “critical” to have “all available resources and as many independent fresh eyes as possible” on the case.
Mr Nerheim added, “I insist on peace as we carry out this process and give full transparency.”
Vauxhall police said the officer, a Hispanic man who had been with the department for five years, opened fire on the car “out of fear for his safety.”
Mr Stinett was with a woman when officers approached the car as part of an investigation.
Police did not say why the vehicle was being investigated.
Police said the car rolled into officer Fischer, but did not describe how far the officer was from the car, how fast he was moving, or any other details of the shooting that sparked outrage among Mr Steinet and his relatives and opponents. Driver. No gun was found inside the car, police said.
The woman in the car was also shot and suffered serious injuries. She was taken to the hospital by Friday, police said.
Cliftina Johnson said her daughter was shot while driving and underwent surgery for injuries at the hospital on Thursday.
In a year of widespread protests across the country against police violence and racial injustice, Mr Steinett’s assassination sparked fresh protests in Vauxhall.
The shooting came five months after the death of George Floyd, a 46-year-old black man, after a Minneapolis police officer pinned him to the ground with a stick in his hand below his knee. It also happened just 16 miles south of Kenosha, Vis. Where a 29-year-old black man, Jacob Black, became partially paralyzed after being shot seven times in the back by a white police officer in August.
On Thursday, Ms. Johnson urged protesters to speak out for justice.
“You have to stand up and speak for those who are already gone,” he said.
Michael Levenson contributed to the report.
