Family of man killed by Carol Stream police files lawsuit
The sisters of the man Carol Stream police shot to death earlier this month are suing the officers, saying they used excessive force and murdered him.
The lawsuit - filed Wednesday in federal court — states that police had no good reason to enter Isaac Goodlow III’s apartment without a warrant because they knew the woman who had called police to complain about him was outside, not in danger.
Six officers, identified as John Does, are named as defendants along with the police department.
Carol Stream Village Manager William Holmer said the village was made aware of the lawsuit on Wednesday.
"While the village has not been served with the suit, at such a time that service may occur, we will review the suit in order to determine how best to proceed on behalf of those we serve," Holmer said in a statement.
“The village continues to extend condolences to the Goodlow family for their loss,” he added.
Police have not released the names of the officers involved in the Feb. 3 shooting at an apartment in the 200 block of East St. Charles Road.
They had no evidence anybody else was in danger, the lawsuit states, and had plenty of time to try to contact Goodlow, 30, or get a warrant because they were on scene for 50 minutes before entering the apartment and forcing their way into the bedroom.
“He was shot dead in cold blood in the sanctity of his own bedroom,” the lawsuit states. “Worse, Isaac was murdered by one or more (of the defendant police officers.)”
The shooting happened around 4:15 a.m. Police say they were investigating a domestic violence complaint.
The lawsuit states the police department has a policy and practice of using excessive force and doing illegal raids, citing three federal lawsuits people filed against the department in 2003, 2008 and 2019. It does not state the disposition of the cases.
It states that police waited 50 minutes before entering so they could obtain tactical gear, including ballistic shields. In that time, they “hatched a plan,” the lawsuit states.
It says police broke into Goodlow’s bedroom while he was sleeping and that he was shot in the heart. After he was shot, an officer used a Taser on Goodlow. An officer then handcuffed Goodlow before officers gave any medical aid.
Goodlow was pronounced dead at the scene.
The lawsuit stated the police department inadequately trained its officers in the use of force and that its policies failed to include the recommendations made in 2022 by the federal Justice Department in the wake of the deaths of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd. Taylor was shot to death when police entered an apartment with a no-knock warrant. Floyd was killed by a Minneapolis police officer who suffocated him during an arrest.
The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages.
The family has been shown some body-camera footage of the raid but has demanded to see all unredacted footage. It is also asking the village to name the officers involved.
“From what I saw, he (Goodlow) got ambushed,” Henry Pigram, Goodlow’s uncle, said at a news conference Wednesday afternoon. “He didn’t defy the police. He was asleep ... He didn’t even see it coming.”
The DuPage County Metropolitan Emergency Response and Investigations Team is investigating the shooting.
In his statement, Holmer said the village is eager for the completion of the investigation “so all parties can gain a fuller understanding of what, exactly, took place.”
Holmer said the village expects to share more information with the public “in the very near future” about the shooting, specifically the body-worn camera footage.