Elgin Police To Release Video Of Fatal Shooting Of Decynthia Clements
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Elgin police plan to release video of the fatal shooting of a woman by an officer during a standoff on the Jane Addams Tollway earlier this month.
An officer shot and killed 34-year-old DeCynthia Clements on March 12, after she allegedly fled a traffic stop, and then stopped her SUV on the tollway.
Police have said Clements had a knife, and officers tried to negotiate with her for more than an hour. When police noticed a fire had started in her vehicle, and officers approached the SUV to pull her out, "an exchange" prompted Elgin Police Lt. Christian Jensen to shoot Clements.
Elgin Police Chief Jeffrey Swoboda planned to release video footage of the incident at 3 p.m. Thursday. Police first showed the video to Clements' family and their attorneys, who have said they plan to file a lawsuit.
"The video of the fatal shooting of DeCynthia Clements released today by the Elgin Police Department raises questions about the unnecessary use of deadly force by an Elgin Police Officer," Antonio Romanucci, the Clements' lawyer, said in a statement Thursday morning. "This situation did not have to escalate to such a degree that cost a young woman her life. As we move forward with this lawsuit, those responsible for DeCynthia's death must be held accountable."
Police have not elaborated on what happened to prompt Jensen to shoot Clements, or how the fire in her SUV started.
Clements was taken to St. Alexius Medical Center in nearby Hoffman Estates, where she was pronounced dead. She leaves behind a 21-year-old son.
Her family has described her as a "loving, caring mom." They also said she was very small, and not a threat to officers trained in deadly force and equipped with shields and body armor.
Illinois State Police were investigating the shooting.