An Illinois officer reportedly shot and killed an armed security guard who subdued a suspected shooter at the bar he worked at.
WGN-TV reported that a group of drunken men was asked to leave Manny’s Blue Room Bar at 4 a.m. Sunday, only for someone to return with a gun and open fire. Witnesses said security guard Jemel Roberson, 26, returned fire and apprehended one of the suspects outside.
Witness Adam Harris told WGN-TV Roberson had “somebody on the ground with his knee in [his] back” and a gun pointed at him. Bystanders claimed it was moments later when an unnamed Midlothian police officer who responded to the scene fired at Roberson, killing him.
“Everybody was screaming out, ‘Security!’ He was a security guard,” Harris said.
The slain man’s mother accused the responding officer of using “excessive and unreasonable” force in a lawsuit filed in federal court on Monday. CNN reported that the federal lawsuit also lists the village of Midlothian as defendants. Robertson’s mother is seeking $1 million in damages.
While many details remain unclear, authorities previously said four people inside the bar were shot following an argument, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. They said four victims, including the suspect, suffered non-life threatening injuries.
A Cook County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson told WGN-TV that Roberson had a valid Firearm Owners ID card but didn’t have a concealed-carry license. A statement from the police department confirmed that two officers responded to the scene, one of whom opened fire.
Cook County Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Sophia Ansari told the outlet that the suspected shooter is being hospitalized and hasn’t been charged in connection with Sunday’s incident.
The State Police Public Integrity Task Force is investigating the officer-involved shooting.
Avontea Boose, the mother of Roberson’s 9-month-old son, told the Associated Press, “This was going to be my baby’s first Christmas with his dad and now he’s going to miss out on everything.”
[Featured image: Jemel Roberson/GoFundMe]
