Family of injured Decatur police sergeant react to officer-involved shooting

DECATUR, Ill. (WAND) - The morning of October 12 is one Andrew Wittmer and the Wittmer family won't forget.

Andrew Wittmer, brother of Decatur Police Sgt. Timothy Wittmer, remembered hearing a loud knock coming from his front door. He looked outside and didn't recognize the car in front of his house, but when he opened the door he saw a familiar face.

"An off-duty detective came and beat on my door. It woke me up out of a sound sleep and the first words he said were, 'Tim's been shot, we've got to go.' "

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According to Andrew, his twin brother Sgt. Timothy Wittmer was shot in the hand, the foot, and posterior. One of the bullets came inches away from hitting the 12-year Decatur Police veteran in the face.

"It was so close that there was actually copper fouling in my brother's eyeball that had to be removed several days later."

That morning in the Emergency Room, Andrew took a photo of his brother's blood-stained uniform before it was bagged and taken by the Illinois State Police as evidence. The photo has circulated on Facebook and social media.

"I thought that everybody need to see that patch. That is what is representing our city and his blood is on it, but our streets right now are running red with that blood. We have really lowered our enforcement's ability to respond to calls like this."

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Andrew is a former Decatur Police Officer. He told WAND News he worked in law enforcement for 11 years, 5 of those spent in Peoria as a Peoria County Sheriff's Deputy. The rest of his career was with Decatur Police Department. Andrew was also involved in an officer-involved shooting in July 2016. The Macon County State's Attorney ruled his action justified.

According to Decatur Police, Sgt. Wittmer is a part of the department's Community Action Team or also known as CAT Team. The team is designed to get illegal guns off the streets. Andrew told WAND News the team was formed after he had left the department. Decatur Police shared that since May, the CAT team has seized 73 guns. On the morning of Oct. 12, police said officers were informed that Jamontey Neal, a felon, had a gun and that's why police pulled him over.

In the days after Oct. 12, Decatur Police released the body/dash camera video from the morning of the officer-involved shooting. In the video, police said Neal pulled a gun out of his waistband and opened fire on officers. One of those bullets hit Sgt. Wittmer in the hand. In the video, Sgt. Wittmer can be seen falling backward and laying on the ground.

"He nearly died right there on the street," said Andrew.

Police said during the shoot-out, Sgt. Wittmer's gun had malfunctioned. Andrew told WAND News, not only was his brother laying on the ground, but his hand was what he described as destroyed and he was only able to use one eye.

"I would like everyone to see what his hand looked like as he is on the ground fighting for his life clearing a malfunction drill. Most people who don't know him, don't realize every time he puts on his uniform he unloads his firearm and he does 10 presentation drills in the mirror to practice that movement and you can tell that was muscle memory. He has no conscious memory of doing that. It was instinct because he has trained that into himself and that is the level of dedication he puts into his craft."

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Andrew told WAND News in the days after the shooting he grew angry and frustrated. He feels there is a false narrative being painted about police officers and wants people to know and understand they are human beings who care deeply about the communities they serve. He wants people to remember his brother and law enforcement officers as they head to the polls to vote.

"I want people to remember that you sent him out there. You asked him for your help and he gave it to you. He did it in spite of all of the restrictions that your politicians put on him that make it much more difficult to do his job."

It will take a while before Sgt. Wittmer can return to patrol. Andrew said his brother's entire life has been changed because of the shooting. According to Andrew, Sgt. Wittmer planned on coaching his 7-year-old son's wrestling team, but now can't.

"He's not available to be a father. He's not available to be the wrestling coach. He's not available to be a husband. He's hobbling around the house with a bullet wound in his hand, in his foot, and his face. He can't go to work. His entire life is disrupted."

Andrew said his brother loves to serve the community. Sgt. Wittmer is a 12-year veteran of the Decatur Police Department. He has been a member of the U.S. Marshal's Fugitive Task Force and was a school resource officer. Andrew said his brother was dedicated to working with students, helping them with their homework, and coaching wrestling. He said his brother is eager and ready to return to DPD.

"I want people to know whether or not he comes back to the Decatur Police Department, he absolutely loves his job. He loves the people he works for and he loves the people he serves," he said.

Officer Austin Bowman, a 2-year veteran of the Decatur Police Department, was also shot on October 12. He is at home recovering.

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