State Police Probe Death Of Elderly Man Shot By Cops
PARK FOREST, Ill. (CBS) -- Illinois State Police have launched an investigation into why police in Park Forest shot a 95-year-old man with a bean bag round, leading to the man's death.
WBBM Newsradio's John Waelti reports World War II veteran John Wrana met his demise at the hands of Park Forest police officers last week, after allegedly threatening nursing home staff and paramedics with a cane, butcher knife, and shoehorn at the Victory Centre assisted living center.
But Wrana family attorney Nicholas Grapsas denied Wrana ever wielded a knife, and questioned why police needed to use force on an elderly man, when the staff was offering to assist.
"When the police came, they took over. They wouldn't even let the staff calm him down, even though they repeatedly, literally, begged them 'Let us try and calm him down," Grapsas said.
Investigation Of Elderly Man's Death At Cops' Hands
He claimed officers stormed into the room with riot gear, shooting Wrana with a stun gun. They then shot him in the abdomen with a bean bag round from a shotgun.
Grapsas said Wrana was sitting alone in a chair when police shot him.
"Park Forest police were able to do what the Japanese military couldn't do," he said.
The Cook County Medical Examiner's office said Wrana died from internal bleeding from blunt force trauma caused by the bean bag rounds.
Illinois State Police were investigating the case.
