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Prosecutor: Officer acted in self-defense in fatal shooting

Posted June 29, 2018 7:00 am

The Associated Press

ROCK FALLS, Ill. (AP) - A prosecutor has determined that a northern Illinois police officer acted in self-defense in the fatal shooting of a 43-year-old motorist during a traffic stop.

Sauk Valley Media reports that Rock Falls officer Jonathan Cater will not be charged in the case.

Police have said Nathaniel Edwards did not respond to commands to get out of a car following a pursuit in January and instead put the vehicle in reverse and accelerated toward the officer.

Edwards, of Sterling, was shot several times in the back.

Whiteside County State's Attorney Terry Costello said in a release Friday that Cater "reasonably believed" that his life and the life of a fellow officer were in danger.

Edwards' mother has filed a lawsuit against Rock Falls and the officer.

Rock Falls is about 115 miles (185 kilometers) west of Chicago.

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Online: http://www.saukvalley.com/2018/06/29/rock-falls-officer-wont-be-charged-in-drivers-shooting-death/a5sky9l/

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