Police Say Man Grabbed Weapon Before Officers Shot, Wounded Him In Dolton; Mom Says He Told Her Police 'Just Came At' Him
DOLTON, Ill. (CBS) -- Police shot a 19-year-old man multiple times in Dolton after they said he reached for a weapon, but the man's mother said he told her police just "came at" him.
On Sunday night, CBS 2's Jeremy Ross learned more about the man police shot, and saw cellphone video for the first time. Viewers are warned that the video may be difficult to watch.
The approximately 15 seconds of cellphone video do not capture what led up to the shooting – that is now part of an Illinois State Police investigation.
The video does show Dolton officers approaching the man. We stopped it before a at least two officers fired at the man on Saturday night, sending him to the hospital and sending some neighbors hitting the deck.
"Five shots first – five, six shots," one woman said. "I'm just thankful they didn't kill him."
"I want to know why - why so many bullets? Why?" said the man's mother, Patrice Eason-Watson. "He's not the first and he's not going to be the last, but I'm here to speak here today for my son, because he can't speak for himself, because he's at Christ Hospital. He's laying there fighting for his life."
A trail of tears ran down Eason-Watson's cheek as she described the pain of her son, Carterris Doty. He has bene through at least two surgeries since Saturday night.
Doty told her he was with friends walking to a girl's house on Irving Avenue near Sibley Boulevard when, "'Police just came at me' – that's what my son told me."
Dolton Mayor Riley Rogers said around 9:15 p.m. Saturday, police responded to a call of a man with a gun. Rogers said the 19-year-old ignored repeated commands to show his hands.
"At some point, the offender reached into his waist and secured a weapon, and pointed the weapon at the officers and in turn the officers fired their weapons, striking the offender," said Dolton Mayor Riley Rogers,
But Easton-Watson said, "He said he did not have a gun in his hand."
Riley said the officers did wear body cameras, and the video was downloaded and turned over to the Illinois State Police. But there is no timetable on when that video will be viewed by family or the public.
"I need transparency. I need answers. I want answers. I demand answers now," Eason-Watson said.
Once the state police has contacted the family to give the family an opportunity to review the body cam video, the body cam video will be released to the public as soon as possible," Rogers said.
The village said the officers involved were placed on desk duty as the investigation continues, as is typical for an incident like this.
Doty is described as being in serious condition.
Anyone with information on this incident is asked to call Dolton police at (708) 896-7817.
