Darren Green Jr.'s family wants Illinois state trooper charged with murder in Harvey traffic stop
HARVEY, Ill. (WLS) -- The family of a man shot and killed during a traffic stop is calling for murder charges against one of the Illinois State Police troopers involved in the 2020 incident.
Nearly seven months after the Harvey traffic stop turned deadly, the family of Darren Green, Jr. said one of the Illinois State troopers involved in that October 2020 incident should be charged with murder.
"Darren Green Jr. was not accidentally shot. Darren Green, Jr. was not shot and killed over a struggle for a gun," said Andre Grant, attorney for the Green family.
Dashcam video shows traffic stop turned deadly shooting involving Illinois State Police in Harvey
Illinois State Police said dash camera video of the early morning incident shows Green attempting to jump into the driver's seat of the stopped vehicle as one of the troopers spots a gun.
"Hey bud," he starts to say, then yells, "Hey, gun! Don't move. Don't move!"
State police said the gun that was spotted in the SUV went off as troopers struggled with Green and a bullet struck the 30-year-old father. But attorneys for Green's family dispute that narrative.
"He takes the gun out of his waistband, he shoots Darren Green in the back of the head with the gun that he recovered from the car. Not even with his service revolver. Who does that?" Grant said.
The attorneys also showed a dashcam video from a July 2013 incident which they claim shows the same trooper acting inappropriately during another traffic stop.
"He opened her car door, reached across her body on both our seatbelt and ripped her out of the car door to the ground. I think it's egregious, it was unnecessary. And it was excessive," said Shay Allen, a civil rights attorney.
Allen said the woman pulled from that car is his client, Vicki Glanz. Allen said a jury found the trooper in her case to be not liable and the charges against Glanz were dismissed, according to court documents.
Illinois State Police said Thursday it has completed its internal investigation of the incident with Green and has turned over all of its findings to the Cook County State's Attorney's Office.
The Green family attorneys contend Illinois State Police should not be investigating itself.
"It'll be seven months tomorrow that my son is gone," said Darren Green, Sr. "I just want justice for my son. The state needs to get this stuff together."
The Cook County State's Attorney said its review of the incident is ongoing.
