Dashcam Video From Shorewood Police Deadly Shooting At LaQuinta

SHOREWOOD, IL — Just five hours after a Crest Hill Police sergeant fatally shot a 30-year-old man in the Pioneer Road apartments, Shorewood Police Officer Alan Criscione was about to become the first officer in his department's history to fatally shoot someone in the line of duty, just seven miles away.

The Shorewood incident was not a long, drawn-out standoff. From the moment Criscione arrived to the time of the shooting "was less than two minutes," Shorewood Police Chief Phil Arnold told Patch.

"The officers had no idea about any danger," Arnold said.

Around 11:45 p.m. March 14, 2022, a man, later identified as Oswego resident Jose DeJesus-Hernandez, 39, had called 911 twice, hanging up both times. He told 911 he was parked in the back parking lot of the LaQuinta Inn & Suites facing Interstate 55.

Criscione was on Route 52 near the DuPage River, so he drove there to check it out. He did not activate his unmarked police car's sirens and emergency lights because it seemed to be an unknown medical call, according to Shorewood Deputy Police Chief Jason Barten.

The shootings happened within a fraction of a second.

The dash camera footage makes it evident Hernandez fired his gun first. He raised his gun in the direction of the Shorewood police, who were already alerted by Criscione that the man had a gun in his hand while sitting inside his vehicle behind the LaQuinta.

Just as Hernandez shot himself in the shoulder, Criscione returned fire, fatally shooting the Oswego man once in the head with his police rifle. Criscione was standing at least 35 feet away, positioned behind his squad car for his own safety, Arnold said.

“We will never know why Mr. Hernandez chose the LaQuinta location that night, nor what led him to take the actions that ended so tragically," Arnold told Patch. "What we do know is that Officer Criscione used the force necessary to protect not only his life, but also the lives of other officers that had responded and the patrons inside the rooms in front of Mr. Hernandez’s vehicle. His quick reaction and response is a reflection of his dedication to professionalism and training.”

Arnold said Criscione only fired one rifle round. "All the officers there did a good job. A lot of restraint was used,"the chief remarked.

Officer Criscione Cleared In Deadly Shooting

Criscione was cleared last year by the Will County State's Attorney's Office of any criminal wrongdoing in connection with the deadly parking lot shooting.

"At the conclusion of this review, the board voted unanimously that Officer Criscione's actions on ... the evening of March 14, 2022, were within the Shorewood Police Department's policy and procedures," Barten's letter advised the police chief.

Arnold said he agreed with the administrative review findings regarding Criscione's use of deadly force. Criscione joined the Shorewood Police Department in April 2017.

After getting two 911 hang up calls late at night last March, the dispatchers weren't sure if the caller may be suffering a heart attack, Arnold explained. Since Criscione was nearby, he chose to head to the hotel to assist with the incident.

Officer Believes He's Responding To Unknown Medical Call

Because Criscione did not know ahead of time this was a dangerous encounter, he had not activated his sirens and flashing lights while driving to the hotel to assist, Barten explained.

Because of that, the audio for his unmarked squad car did not record any conversations; but the dash camera video captured the entire shooting, which is at the bottom of this article.

"There is no sound without manually activating the lights," Barten explained. "Officer Criscione was going to an unknown medical call. He has no idea what he's responding to. In this instance, he's going to an ambulance call."

Dash camera video shows that once he pulls up with the nose of his squad car facing Hernandez's vehicle, Criscione gets out, approaches the car and then quickly retreats.

"As soon as he illuminates the car with his flashlight, he sees it," Arnold said, referring to the gun in Hernandez's right hand.

At that moment, Criscione draws his gun, commands Hernandez to drop his gun. Criscione uses his police radio to alert other on-duty officers, "there's a man with a gun," Arnold explained.

Dash camera video obtained by Patch shows Hernandez smoking a cigarette with his left hand. He then signals with his finger for the police to back away as he rolls up his window.

By this time, Criscione had retreated behind his squad car and grabbed his rifle. Suddenly, the dash-camera video captures a puff of smoke coming from inside the Oswego man's vehicle.

"When you see the puff of smoke," Arnold explained, Hernandez "already has the gun up to his shoulder. The officer is hearing a gunshot. When (Hernandez) shoots, (Criscione) hears the gun fire and sees the gun pointed at his direction."

Another Shorewood officer and a police sergeant were positioned nearby. When police pulled the man's body from his Saturn, Hernandez's gun had a loaded magazine, Arnold said.

It became clear during the early stages of the investigation that the Oswego man left his house intending to take his own life, the chief said. Hernandez took his gun with him and left behind his ATM card and wrote down his pin for his family.

No Innocent Bystanders Were Shot: Barten

That night last March, Arnold explained, Criscione shot his rifle in the direction of a giant wall of concrete —Range USA, previously called Shoot Point Blank, which is an indoor gun range.

If Hernandez parked on the other side of the LaQuinta, Shorewood police could have been shooting in the direction of the Econo Lodge next door, potentially endangering its guests.

"In 37 years as a police officer, I've not been in that situation to have to be able to do that," Arnold said. "Unfortunately, someone had to lose their life, but there were no other victims. No innocent bystanders were injured or killed."

It's the police chief's belief Hernandez wanted an ambulance — not necessarily the police — to arrive, as he planned to take his life with his own gun.

"He did not want to be left alone there for a very long period of time," Arnold said. "He was calling the ambulance because he knew what was going to happen."

WARNING: THIS VIDEO CONTAINS DISTURBING CONTENT

Related Patch coverage:

Shorewood Officer Fatally Shoots Man In La Quinta Parking Lot

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