Gurnee Police officers shot and killed a woman who brandished a tactical carbine last year. Recently released officer body cam footage shows the entire incident, where police issued numerous warnings and commands prior to shooting the woman.
Gurnee Police Respond
Footage shows officers repeatedly command, order and even plead with the woman to halt her threatening behavior. But as officers continued to plead, the woman becomes increasingly erratic throughout the video. Finally, with her trigger on the trigger, she raises the rifle toward the officers. That’s when Gurnee Police opened fire, dropping the woman.
“The officers negotiated for several minutes and pleaded with her to put the gun down,” said Christopher Covelli, spokesman for the Lake County Major CrimesTask Force, reported chicagotribune.com. “At one point, she approached a stopped vehicle and went to the driver’s side, but the person in the vehicle was able to back up away from her.”
Officials transported the woman, identified as 31-year-old Makell Meyerin, to a local hospital. She later died there from her gunshot wounds, according to chicagotribune.com.
Authorities believe the shooting ended a day full of lawless behavior. Earlier that day, at another location, suspects barricaded themselves in an apartment building. A male later eluded police, damaged state property and resisted arrest. Ultimately, police found 37-year-old Jordan Huff slumped over in a car. Authorities also believed Meyerin and Huff began the day knocking on doors asking for money. Witness reported a rifle out the window of the suspects’ car, and someone reportedly fired a round at a police car, reported chicagotribune.com.
Sometime later, police believe Meyerin broke away from the other suspects before crashing a vehicle into trees. That’s when she fled on foot, before officers finally located her on Route 41, where she leveled the rifle at police.
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