Police in Illinois fatally shot a man during an attempted arrest on Sunday night, inadvertently injuring a woman bystander.
The Fox Lake Police Department was alerted to a report of vehicle damage and an assault involving a golf club. Responding to the incident in a Chicago suburb, officers arrived at a residential property in Wauconda shortly after 11:10 pm on Sunday, May 28.
The Lake County Major Crime Task Force said that upon informing the suspect of his impending arrest, he allegedly took out a knife and advanced aggressively toward the officers. According to the official statement, the man, Israel Contreras-Madagan, pulled out the knife upon hearing the arrest order. He ignored the command to drop the weapon and lunged at one of the officers. Both officers discharged their firearms, resulting in the man’s death.
The 47-year-old suspect was pronounced dead at the scene despite attempts by paramedics to administer medical aid. A 43-year-old woman, known to the man, was struck by a stray bullet, sustaining a non-life-threatening injury to her leg. She received medical attention at a local hospital and was discharged on Monday.
The Lake County Coroner’s Office will release the identity of the deceased following an autopsy.
The county’s crime task force is currently investigating the incident to evaluate the justification of the force used and to determine whether the shooting was warranted. A spokesperson for the Lake County Major Crimes Task Force, Christopher Covelli, suggested in preliminary findings that alcohol may have been a factor in the deceased man’s decision-making.