advertisement

Man shot by police after allegedly threatening officers

JOLIET, Ill. (AP) - Police in a Chicago suburb fatally shot a man who was brandishing what they believed to be a handgun and who allegedly threatened officers, officials of the Will-Grundy Major Crimes Task Force said Wednesday.

Joliet police responded late Tuesday to call of a person threatening to shoot people. Authorities say when officers arrived on the scene, they found Joseph Casten, 19, of Naperville brandishing what appeared to be a black semi-automatic handgun. When Casten allegedly threatened police he was shot and later died at Silver Cross Hospital in New Lenox. It was later determined the weapon was a BB gun.

Police said an investigation determined Casten was the 911 caller reporting a person in the street threatening to shoot people. No officers were injured during the incident, though several were taken to a hospital for evaluation.

An autopsy determined that the preliminary cause of death is multiple gunshot wounds, according to a statement by the Will County coroner's office. The coroner is waiting for a final review of police, autopsy and toxicological reports before ruling on a manner of death as well as a final cause of death.

Article Comments
Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.