A sheriff’s deputy in suburban DuPage County was placed on paid administrative leave after fatally shooting a 17-year-old boy while responding to a domestic incident in unincorporated Villa Park, according to police.
Late Sunday night, Trevon Johnson's siblings called 911 from inside their home near Standish Lane and Ardmore Avenue, asking for assistance and saying Johnson had beaten them, according to calls released by the DuPage County Sheriff’s Office.
"Can you please bring the police?" one of the callers can be heard asking. She identified herself as Johnson's sister, adding "He put his hands on me. He punched me in my head several, several times."
She said he had knives, while a second caller who identified himself as Johnson's brother said "he's breaking stuff, people's glasses and everything."
"He was picking up knives and glasses and bottles and everything, throwing them," the caller said.
Despite two chaotic 911 calls, a third caller seemed less panicked, telling the operator asking about a knife, "No. No. We don't even have one."
Around midnight, a deputy arrived at the home and was "involved in an altercation" with Johnson, authorities said in a statement. The officer opened fire, according to police, striking Johnson. He was taken to Elmhurst Hospital, where he died of multiple gunshot wounds, officials said.
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An attorney for Johnson's family called the shooting "unjustified," criticizing the department for "releasing misinformation."
"Our preliminary investigation, suggests that this is an unjustified shooting of a 17 y/o kid who was at home celebrating the holidays with his family," the family's attorney Larry Rogers said in a statement. "He was not mentally handicapped. He was unarmed and was not in an altercation with the officer or anyone else when he was shot. He was doing as he was told when the Officer opened fire."
"This shooting is completely unjustified and this officer should be held accountable for his actions," Rogers added.
The deputy, whose identity has been withheld, will remain on paid administration leave as police continue to investigate.
Illinois State Police are leading the investigation into the incident, according to police, and the DuPage County state’s attorney’s office has been notified.
