SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) — Sangamon County State’s Attorney John Milhiser has declined to charge the officers involved in a police shooting from September.
The shooting occurred on Sept. 4, 2024 while police were searching for suspects from a shots fired call that happened earlier in the day, according to the Springfield Police Department.
A still image from body worn camera footage taken on the night of Sept. 4, 2024. Click here for the full video.
Officer Jesse Schmillen was field training another officer when the vehicle wanted in the shots fired call was located close to midnight. The officers conducted a traffic stop of the vehicle outside of a gyro restaurant at 1100 South Martin Luther King Drive.
Schmillen turned on his body worn camera before conducting the stop. Video from the camera can be found at the city of Springfield's website.
The officers spoke to the people inside the vehicle, and confirmed the 19-year-old man in the passenger seat was the suspect sought in the shots fired call. According to information provided by Milhiser, additional officers arrived at this time and the suspect was told to exit the car.
The man initially refused to leave the car, and bodycam footage shows an officer reaching into the vehicle to pull the man out by his arm. Once outside of the car, the man broke free from the officer and ran into the street.
As the man ran from officers, he pulled a gun from his pants and fired near the officers. Schmillen fired several shots at the man and hit him once. The 19-year-old was treated at the scene, and transported to a local hospital where he recovered from his injury.
The case was turned over to Illinois State Police per state law and the officers involved were placed on administrative leave.
ISP investigated the shooting and found that Schmillen was justified in his use of force.
According to Milhiser, state police met with the state's attorney as well as the family of the man who was shot to review the videos prior to their release to the public.
Back in September, Police Chief Ken Scarlette and Springfield Mayor Misty Buscher said they met with the family of the man on shortly after the shooting as well as "key stakeholders" in the community including the NAACP, Faith Coalition for the Common Good, and Black Lives Matter Springfield.
Copyright 2024. WAND TV. All rights reserved.
