Police Used Taser Prior To Fatal Shooting In Elk Grove Village: Mayor

ELK GROVE VILLAGE, IL — Calling it a "less lethal option," Elk Grove Village Mayor Craig Johnson said police first used a Taser on Jack Murray before fatally shooting him in an incident earlier this month. The 24-year-old, who had called 911 prior to the incident, reportedly came out of a local residence on Dec. 1 with a knife and confronted officers.

Murray was taken to a local hospital following the incident, where he was later pronounced dead.

"As he [Murray] continued to advance towards the officers, Mr. Jack Murray ignored numerous commands to put the knife down and commands to put his hands up," Johnson said in a statement he read at a Tuesday night Village Board meeting.

According to Murray's family, he experienced physical and emotional distress linked to Type 1 diabetes, which likely led him to call police before he was shot in the 200 block of Fern Drive. At a Dec. 4 news conference, attorneys representing the family said the encounter took place just a few doors down from the Murrays' home.

The Chicago-based law firm Romanucci & Blandin, LLC has launched a civil investigation into the way officers treated Murray, who they described as an "emotionally distressed person" at the time of the incident and who was known by police. The family believes police officers should have done more to de-escalate the situation and get Murray the help he needed.

"The Village understands and respects the desire for information and transparency for the community to better understand the events that took place," Johnson said.

The mayor added that the Village will share the audio from 9-1-1 dispatch, as well as the audio and video footage from the officers' body-worn cameras and police vehicle cameras, "as soon as we can."

The five police officers involved in the incident were placed on administrative leave.

RELATED: Man Killed By Elk Grove Village PD Was Emotionally Disturbed — Lawyer