DuPage deputy who fatally shot teen placed on leave
The DuPage County sheriff's deputy who shot and killed a 17-year-old Villa Park-area resident Sunday night after responding to a report of domestic violence has been placed on paid administrative leave per department policy, authorities said Wednesday.
The decision was announced in a one-sentence news release issued by the sheriff's department.
The deputy, who has not been publicly identified, shot Trevon Johnson multiple times inside the townhouse in the Brandywine neighborhood, authorities said.
Illinois state police are investigating the case, a standard protocol after a police-involved shooting, authorities said. The sheriff's office requested the probe.
The deputy, who is white, told investigators he believed the black teen had a knife.
Johnson's uncle and the family's attorney said Tuesday Johnson was unarmed and disputed the police account of an altercation that led to the shooting.
But in three 911 recordings released by the sheriff's office Tuesday night, family members told dispatchers Johnson was breaking things in the house, had shoved and struck at least one person, and had grabbed one or more knives and glass.
Johnson's sister and brother, while making the first two 911 calls, described a tense scene inside the home on Standish Lane, off Ardmore Avenue.
"He destroyed the whole entire house," the sister told a dispatcher. "The whole house. He's taking knives. He's got glass. He just shoved me."
Apparent gunshots are heard during the second 911 call from the home, followed by confusion, screaming and crying.
Family attorney Larry Rogers did not return a message Wednesday seeking comment about the recordings.
The county coroner's office released a four-sentence statement Tuesday saying preliminary results of an autopsy showed the teen died of multiple gunshot wounds. Chief Deputy Coroner Charlie Dastych said DuPage State's Attorney Robert Berlin's office has not authorized him to release any more information. County Coroner Rich Jorgenson did not return messages.
Master Sgt. Matt Boerwinkle, a spokesman for the state police, said Wednesday the investigation has "progressed quickly" but offered no time frame for when it will be complete.
State police will turn over the results of the probe to Berlin's office for review.
Boerwinkle referred questions about the deputy's personnel history to the sheriff's department, which has not responded to messages.
Boerwinkle declined to comment on the encounter between the deputy and Johnson and whether a weapon was recovered from the scene, citing the ongoing investigation.