A man shot and killed by Joliet police late Tuesday night was holding a BB gun, and investigators now believe that he was the one who had called 911 in the minutes before the shooting took place.
According to Joliet authorities, police were called to the scene in the 800 block of 2nd Avenue at approximately 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, with the caller saying an individual was threatening to shoot people at the location.
When officers arrived, investigators say a man, now identified as 19-year-old Joseph Casten of Naperville, appeared to have a semi-automatic handgun and aimed it at the officers. The officers at the scene discharged their weapons, and Casten was shot multiple times.
“I heard about 10 to 15 shots. It sounded like a shootout out there,” witness Reggie Phillips said.
Witnesses say authorities immediately began CPR on Casten, who was taken to Silver Cross Hospital and was later pronounced dead.
On Wednesday, the Will County Coroner’s Office ruled that Casten had died as a result of multiple gunshot wounds.
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The officers involved in the incident were not injured, but were taken to Saint Joseph Medical Center for evaluation.
Police say the scene was immediately turned over to the Will-Grundy Major Crime Task Force for investigation, in accordance with protocols implemented by the Joliet Police Department in the event of an officer-involved shooting. Investigators were seen looking for shell casings at the scene overnight.
NBC 5 News has not confirmed details of the shooting offered by police, and the investigation remains ongoing.
