FBI Investigating Fatal Waukegan Police Shooting, Officer Fired

WAUKEGAN, IL — Lake County State's Attorney Mike Nerheim said the FBI has agreed to review the circumstances of Tuesday night's police shooting in Waukegan that left 19-year-old Marcellis Stinnette dead and seriously wounded 20-year-old Tafara Williams.

Police said Williams drove away from an encounter with other officers shortly before midnight near the intersection of Liberty and Oak Street.

The officer who shot Williams and Stinnette, her passenger, spotted the car about a half-mile south, near Martin Luther King Drive and South Avenue, according a statement from the Waukegan Police Department.

The officer got out of his car and walked toward the car, according to police. After it began to reverse, he fired repeatedly into the car, striking both Stinnette and Williams. Police said he was "in fear for his safety." No guns were found.

Stinnette was rushed to Vista Medical Center East, where he died shortly before 12:45 a.m., according to Lake County Coroner Howard Cooper.

Cooper declined to say how many gunshot wounds Stinnette suffered, citing the ongoing investigation. Williams remained hospitalized in serious condition Friday.

RELATED: Coroner Identifies Teen Fatally Shot By Waukegan Police

Williams mother, Clifftina Johnson, said her daughter described the shooting as unprovoked.

“When I got there, she said, ‘Mama, they just shot us for nothing'" Johnson told reporters Wednesday. "My daughter said she put her hand up, and if she didn’t put her hand up, she said, ‘Mama, I would be dead.’”

Both Stinnette and Williams are Black. Police said the as-yet unidentified officer is a Hispanic man. He has since been fired for “multiple policy and procedure violations,” Waukegan Police Chief Wayne Walles said late Friday, according to the Associated Press.

The officer the couple drove away from — police said he was "investigating an occupied vehicle" — is a white man, according to police. Both officers have five years of experience with the department.

RELATED: Black Couple Did Not Provoke Police Shooting: Relative

In a statement Friday, Nerheim, who is seeking a third term in office in next month's election, said he contacted U.S. Department of Justice officials the day after the shooting to ask for federal help in determining if the officers acted lawfully — or what state charges might be warranted.

Illinois State Police are leading the state’s investigation into the incident at the request of Waukegan police, who say they have turned over body-camera and dashboard mounted camera footage of the incident to state investigators.

"I am confident in the work being done by the Illinois State Police and welcome the assistance of the FBI," Nerheim said. "As I have said before, once the investigation is concluded, all the evidence will be reviewed and a final decision will be made with respect to any potential charges. Having all available resources and as many independent fresh eyes as possible is critical to this process."