No Charges For Officers Who Shot, Killed Donte Shannon

RACINE, WI — The two officers who shot and killed Donte Shannon in a foot pursuit and shootout in Racine in January will not face any charges, Racine County District Attorney Tricia Hanson said late Tuesday.

"Mr. Shannon was armed with a .9mm handgun that he pointed at the officers three separate times, while being given commands to stay down and drop his weapon. Over a dozen witnesses corroborate hearing the officers give these commands. Audio recordings prove that there were three separate rounds of gunfire. The officers fired at Mr. Shannon in response to his immediate threat to protect themselves and each other," Hanson said in a prepared statement.

The incident began on Wednesday, Jan. 17, just before 3 p.m., when Racine police investigator Chad Stillman and officer Peter Boeck received information that Donte Shannon, 26, had a gun, and an unknown amount of marijuana in his possession.

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Investigators reported that Donte Shannon was a convicted felon on probation and also had a revoked driver's license. The officers located Donte Shannon driving the Toyota at about 4 p.m. on Racine's south side.

According to reports, Stillman and Boeck attempted to conduct a traffic stop on the Toyota driven by Donte Shannon, only to have Shannon abruptly pull into a driveway just south of 515 14th St.

Police reported that Shannon exited the car and ran east. Officers exited their squad car and a foot pursuit was initiated as Shannon ran along the sidewalk toward Park Ave.

Reports stated that Stillman and Boeck reported the foot pursuit, and ordered Shannon to stop running. According to police, Shannon entered the backyard at 1409 Park Ave., when he turned and pointed a black handgun at them.

According to reports, Stillman and Boeck drew their own weapons and fired upon Shannon. According to the report, both Stillman and Boeck were unsure as to how many shots they fired at Shannon, however an autopsy revealed that he had been struck by 10 gunshot wounds with multiple entrance and exit locations.

Stillman and Boeck had been put on administrative leave following the officer-involved shooting, which is standard protocol. The Wisconsin Department of Justice conducted the investigation, and Hanson made her findings available to the public this week.

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