Video, 911 call from fatal Elk Grove Village police shooting released

Elk Grove Village shooting killed 24-year-old Jack Murray

Stephanie Wade Image
Tuesday, December 19, 2023
Video, 911 call from fatal Elk Grove Village police shooting released
The Elk Grove Village Police Department released video and a 911 call Monday from the fatal shooting of Jack Murray earlier this month.

ELK GROVE VILLAGE, Ill. (WLS) -- Bodycam and dashcam video was released Monday from a deadly police shooting earlier this month in Elk Grove Village.

Officers there shot and killed a 24-year-old man who, they say, was holding a large knife.

His family said he was emotionally distressed, and called 911 for help.

Village officials released portions of a 911 call and police video, giving a glimpse into what happened that night.

The Elk Grove Village mayor extended his condolences to Jack Murray's family.

I did not see one second of crisis intervention employed on that video
attorney Antonio Romanucci

Providing this video is an effort of transparency, he said, and help in healing for the community.

The video may be difficult to watch.

The deadly incident the night of Dec. 1 began with a 911 call, in which Murray himself called police about someone with a knife.

After that, he hung up.

Dispatch called back, and Murray's father answered, unaware his son had called police.

That's when things began to escalate.

SEE ALSO: Family says man killed by Elk Grove Village police was having diabetic episode, called 911 himself

Elk Grove Village police released bodycam video, and have blurred parts of it.

The video shows Murray in a yellow hoodie, walking outside his home, with a knife in his right hand.

Despite several commands to stop, Murray continues to walk toward police.

He is tased twice by officers before gunshots can be heard.

ABC7 Chicago froze the video before the shots were fired.

The man was shot four times by police.

Police said officers at the scene rendered aid.

Murray later died at the hospital.

"Jack should not have died. He wasn't threatening anybody," attorney Antonio Romanucci said.

The victim's family attorney said police did not do their job to deescalate the situation.

"I don't think there's any question that, after he was tased, the police could have offered Jack either more time or more distance in between them, in order to preserve his life," Romanucci said.

Mayor Craig Johnson released a video Monday, speaking of the officers' actions that night.

"The officers who responded to this incident have received a combination of crisis intervention training, mental health training, and deescalation training, all of which were utilized in this incident," Johnson said.

The Murray family is too distraught to speak.

"I did not see one second of crisis intervention employed on that video - none," Romanucci said.

The incident is still under investigation by the major case assistance team.

Their investigation could take weeks, or even months, to complete.