A sheriff’s office in Illinois has released bodycam footage of a shooting that resulted in the death of a grandfather and grandson.
The Will County Sheriff’s Office released video from a 2021 encounter in Joliet Township, involving 70-year-old Eldred Wells, Sr. and his 21-year-old grandson, Jabbar Muhammad.
Muhammad was in the midst of a so-called “mental health crisis” when deputies arrived on the scene and was shot after he used a knife to stab Wells in the neck.
Despite being shot, Muhammad continued to stab Wells.
Both Wells and Muhammad succumbed to their wounds, with the Medical Examiner citing the former died of “multiple gunshot wounds,” rather than by repeated knife wounds to the neck.
Before shots were fired, CBS News noted, Will County deputies attempted to de-escalate the situation.
Ten days prior to the shooting, police had encountered Muhammad, who at the time was suicidal and acting violently.
The body camera footage was released following criticism by the family, who felt the sheriff’s office was not being transparent.
“I just want to know what happened. Why?” said Rhonda Wells, the mother of Muhammad and the daughter of Eldred Wells. “Don’t leave us just with our thoughts. Just let us know…. We have nothing. We just want to know the facts.”
The family of Muhammad and Wells filed suits against the sheriff’s office and hospital where Muhammad was being treated for mental illness prior to the shooting, according to CBS.
WCSO Deputy Chief Dan Jungles told reporters that the incident prompted a revision of whether or not to create a policy outlining how to respond to someone in a mental health crisis.
The entire footage can be viewed on YouTube.
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Rule #2: Don’t bring a Taser to a knife fight. Mr. Wells being shot is horrific, and should be investigated. Did he turn into the police officer’s line of sight? It does sound like it. Would the Taser have stopped the assailant? It depends. It is not a type of weapon that stops every crazy person. I do agree with separating the two. They should have brought Mr. Wells to their side of the room. It is difficult to Monday morning quarterback scenarios like these. I have been in similar situation where, thankfully, I did not have to shoot anyone.