$350K Bail For Ex-Cop Charged In Teen's Shooting Death In Waukegan

LAKE COUNTY, IL — Criminal charges have been filed against a former Waukegan Police Department officer nearly two years after he was fired for "multiple policy and procedure violations" in the fatal on-duty shooting of Marcellis Stinnette, 19.

Dante Salinas, 39, has been charged with three counts of second-degree murder and one count of involuntary manslaughter. He voluntarily turned himself into authorities Thursday, officials said.

Salinas, a five-year veteran of the Waukegan Police Department at the time of the Oct. 21, 2020, shooting, appeared for a bond hearing Thursday, and his bail was set at $350,000.

During Thursday's hearing, prosecutors said Salinas fired six shots at a vehicle, which was driven by Stinnette's girlfriend, Tafara Wiliams, 20, while Williams was backing through an intersection in Waukegan. Authorities say officers were attempting to get Williams to pull over at the time of the incident, which happened shortly before midnight on Oct. 21, 2020.

One of the shots hit Stinnette, killing him.

During a press conference Thursday, Lake County State's Attorney Eric Rinehart said the shots were "illegal, unnecessary and constitute second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter."

"While standing next to Ms. Williams' car, and well clear of its path, Salinas fired several shots into the side of the vehicle as it reversed past him. Salinas' shots killed Marcellis Stinnette and injured the driver, Ms. Williams," Rinehart said.

Williams survived several gunshot wounds, and also appeared in court Thursday after she was charged as well this past week in connection with the incident. She faces an aggravated fleeing charge.

Acknowledging that she has no criminal history and two young children, presiding judge George Strickland ordered a recognizance bond for Williams.

Rinehart on Thursday also acknowledged the length of time it took to investigate the fatal shooting, expressing his sympathy for Stinnette's family. The Illinois State Police were responsible for the investigation, completing the bulk of their probe in February 2021, he said.

The state's attorney's office then hired an independent trajectory expert to "analyze and supplement" the Illinois State Police investigation, which is meant to explain the timeline of the incident, the location of Salinas during the shooting and the trajectory of the bullets he shot, Rinehart said.

The report was important since bodycam footage from Salinas was not available, Rinehart said. Previously released videos from the Waukegan Police Department show Salinas did not turn on his body-worn cameras until after the deadly encounter.

"Our office continues to express its condolences to the family of Marcellis Stinnette. As a parent myself, I cannot imagine the pain that his family has been through. The time that we've spent investigating this matter has not been a time of healing for her and her family," Rinehart said."We respect the frustration some have had regarding the length of this investigation."

"But we had to understand the evidence and the expert opinions before we could effectively and fairly bring charges to the grand jury," he added.

A second-degree murder conviction carries a sentencing range of four to 20 years in prison and involuntary manslaughter carries a sentencing range of two to five years in prison, according to authorities. If found guilty on both charges, the sentences would be concurrent.

Charges Filed Against Salinas In Separate Case

Charges were also filed this past week against Salinas in connection with a separate incident that occurred while the officer was on duty about a year prior to the fatal shooting. In that case, Salgado faces aggravated battery and official misconduct charges for accusations he attacked Waukegan resident Angel Salgado while he was on duty.

During that incident in August 2019, Salinas was patrolling Salgado’s neighborhood when he "confronted Salgado," according to a news release from the state's attorney's office.

"Salinas had not received a complaint, nor did he witness Mr. Salgado breaking any laws at the time that he confronted Salgado," according to prosecutors. The two "exchanged words" while Salinas was driving and the officer stopped, got out of his vehicle and initially pulled out his firearm before quickly switching to his taser.

"Mr. Salgado turned away from Salinas to enter a fenced-in area of his family's house. Salgado had ended the argument and was walking into a private yard. Salina chose to follow him, deployed his taser, tackled him and punched him in the face," Rinehart said during Thursday's news conference.

Salgado suffered a broken eye socket, he said.

Salina faces up to five years in prison if convicted on the aggravated battery charge.

Details Released In Stinnette Shooting

Prosecutors on Thursday released details gathered during the probe into the shooting.

On Oct. 21, 2020, after being approached by a Waukegan police officer while in a vehicle, Williams pulled away, according to a news release from the state's attorney's office.

She crashed her car near the intersection of Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue and Helmholz Avenue. Salinas parked his car near and parallel to Williams’ vehicle, got out of his vehicle and crossed to a point in the middle of the road.

Prosecutors said Williams was in the process of reverting her vehicle, and attempting to leave the area, when Salinas got out of his squad car.

"While standing next to Ms. Williams’ vehicle and clear of its path, Officer Salinas fired several shots into the driver's side of the vehicle as it continued to reverse past him. Officer Salinas’ shots killed Marcellis Stinnette and injured the driver, Ms. Williams," Rinehart said.

Salinas is next expected in court on Nov. 15.

The Associated Press contributed to this article.

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