Illinois police officers will not be charged in deadly shooting of unarmed man in his home
Illinois police officers will not be charged in the fatal shooting of an unarmed man in a dark bedroom at his home.
State Attorney Robert Berlin, the prosecutor in DuPage County, said Wednesday he was unable to prove that a Carol Stream officer, who claimed self-defense, "was not legally justified in using deadly force" against 30-year-old Isaac Goodlow, according to The Associated Press.
"It is indeed a tragedy any time a human life is lost," Berlin said. "Criminal charges can only be filed, however, if the evidence is sufficient to support a conviction beyond a reasonable doubt."
Goodlow died at a hospital following the Feb. 3 shooting in Carol Stream, Illinois, which is located about 34 miles from Chicago.
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Police responded to a 911 call in the middle of the night from a woman who reported that Goodlow had beaten her before she fled from the apartment they shared.
The woman, Goodlow's girlfriend, sustained a black eye and a bloody lip.
Police said they'd announced their presence for about an hour, with Goodlow refusing to open the door, before six officers eventually entered the home after a building employee provided them a key.
Berlin said body camera footage showed Goodlow's "knee or thigh coming out of the bedroom door" when an officer opened it with his foot.
The officer shot Goodlow in the chest, telling investigators he believed Goodlow was "pointing something at me, throwing something at me or reaching for my firearm."
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"Goodlow’s sudden and aggressive actions towards me compelled me to flinch backwards and discharge my weapon to stop the perceived threat," the officer told investigators.
Berlin said Goodlow had earlier told his girlfriend that police would have to kill him, or he would kill himself if she called 911.
Goodlow's sisters have filed a lawsuit against the officers and the police department on allegations of excessive force.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.