Crime & Safety
Bodycam Footage From Route 41 Standoff, Shooting Released
A woman armed with a military-style rifle was walking as traffic passed by and police officers repeatedly pleaded with her to put it down.
GURNEE, IL — Bodycam footage from an officer-involved shooting on Route 41 last May shows Gurnee Police Department officers trying for several minutes to calm a woman armed with a military-style rifle before two officers fired several shots at her. The woman, Makell Meyerin, 31, of Antioch, was walking down the southbound lanes of Route 41 with a Beretta Cx4 Storm tactical carbine when she was shot by Sgt. Jon Ward and Officer Benjamin Bozer.
The officers have been cleared of any wrongdoing in the shooting, which occurred on May 23, 2018, on Route 41 north of Grand Avenue.
The bodycam footage obtained by Lake and McHenry County Scanner show officers tried for several minutes prior to the shooting to get Meyerin to put her gun down.
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"No one wants to hurt you, put the gun down. You're not in trouble," one officer could be heard saying as they try to pacify the woman, and used words like, "honey," and "sweetie," when addressing her. At one point, the woman pointed the gun to her chin. Several officers could be heard repeatedly warning Meyerin not to come any closer.
It took several minutes before the southbound lanes of traffic were closed off during the standoff, which happened during the afternoon hours. Several cars passed by as an armed Meyerin walked up and down the highway. At one point, a vehicle stopped in front of Meyerin and had to back up before it accelerated past her.
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After she was shot, Meyerin was rushed to Advocate Condell Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead at 2:33 p.m.
Autopsy results revealed she died of multiple gunshot wounds to her leg and torso. Toxicology results showed Meyerin had the following drugs in her system: opiates, cocaine, benzodiazepines, fentanyl/metabolites, naloxone, clonazepam and benzoylecgonine, according to a report from Lake County State's Attorney Mike Nerheim.
Warning: This video shows a police-involved shooting and may be disturbing to some viewers.
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