No charges for Carol Stream Police Department officers in deadly shooting of Isaac Goodlow
DuPage County State's Attorney's Office said it did not conclude officer who shot Goodlow was justified in the incident
CAROL STREAM, Ill. (WLS) -- The DuPage County State's Attorney's Office said Wednesday that no criminal charges will be filed against any Carol Stream police officers involved in the fatal shooting of Isaac Goodlow III earlier this year.
"Every case involving the use of deadly force by a police officer, whether on or off duty, must be carefully and thoroughly investigated. Such scrutiny is required to ensure the protection of the civil rights of those involved and to maintain the public's confidence in law enforcement," State's Attorney Bob Berlin said in a statement.
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Berlin said his conclusion not to file any charges against law enforcement came after a thorough investigation into the deadly shooting.
He also said the state could not meet its burden of proving beyond a reasonable doubt that the officer who shot Goodlow was not justified in using deadly force.
He went on to say his office did not conclude the officer was justified in the incident.
READ MORE | Carol Stream releases names of officers on scene during deadly police shooting of Isaac Goodlow
The village of Carol Stream also said Wednesday that the probationary officer who fatally shot Goodlow has not been employed by them since May 2.
Attorneys for Goodlow's family said he was fired.
"I think just the fact that he was terminated says a lot about what they really believe is the truthful story about his conduct on that day in February," attorney Andrew Stroth said.
The names of the officers involved were previously released as part of a federal lawsuit filed in the case.
Goodlow was fatally shot by police in the 200-block of East St. Charles Road in Carol Stream Feb. 3.
Police said the sister of Goodlow's girlfriend had called them to the scene for an alleged domestic incident.
Police said after trying to contact Goodlow for over 45 minutes, they obtained a key and six officers entered the apartment. Within seconds, he was shot by police in what appears to be a bedroom
A lengthy news release Wednesday said an unarmed 30-year-old Goodlow was behind the bedroom door when police entered the dark room.
The release said Officer Dan Pfingston believed Goodlow stepped toward him in an "aggressive manner."
"Believing Goodlow was either pointing something at him, throwing something at him or reaching for his firearm, Officer Pfingston fired a single gunshot at Goodlow, striking him in the chest. Officer Pfingston discharged his firearm twelve seconds after the officers entered the apartment," the release said.
DuPage County officials went on to say another officer accidentally fired a shot, as well, that did not hit anyone.
RELATED: Carol Stream police release bodycam video of shooting that killed Isaac Goodlow
A Taser was also deployed that hit another officer.
Goodlow was handcuffed before life-saving measures began, officials said. He later died at a nearby hospital.
SEE ALSO: Recording of 9-1-1 call details moments before Carol Stream police fatally shot Isaac Goodlow
Berlin said officials audited the body camera video that was released, after Goodlow's family claimed it had been altered. He said the audit found it had not been modified in any way.
However, the video released to the public in early March was blurred and partially edited.
Despite Goodlow's family saying Goodlow was in bed when he was shot, Berlin said the footage contradicts that.
Berlin said none of the officers involved in the incident have a record of discipline relating to use of force.
In a statement Wednesday, the village of Carol Stream said in part, "As is proper following major incidents, and consistent the Carol Stream Police Department has embarked on a thorough review of its policies and procedures. The Department is also participating in a thorough and robust accreditation process which is intended to ensure all policies, procedures, and practices align with modern policing strategies. Additionally, the Department has set up new training opportunities for officers that focus on communication, tactics, and decision-making.
"Finally, we acknowledge that the tragic incident on February 3 has affected our entire community and it is our collective responsibility to ensure that these wounds are healed over time. One way to do that is by working every day to strengthen the bonds between Carol Stream residents and the men and women tasked with keeping our community safe."
Goodlow's family and attorneys spoke out Wednesday afternoon, condemning DuPage County officials' decisions.
They filed a lawsuit in February against Carol Stream and the officers involved in the shooting, claiming Goodlow's constitutional rights were violated.
"I'll tell you this: Berlin is no shrinking violet. He's no stranger to prosecuting tough cases against criminals. For some reason, he's dancing around the issue in this case, and it's our perception that it's because he's protecting his own," attorney Steven Hart said.
Hart and his co-counsel, Stroth, argue evidence and the central facts of the case are being ignored by the state's attorney.
"If you watch the video, what you see is, in less than a second, an unarmed 30-year old black man, Isaac Goodlow, this family's son and brother, was killed by this officer," Stroth said.
Goodlow's mother was visibly upset Wednesday, and still believes there's much more to the story they're not being told.
"I'm very frustrated because I thought he was going to do the right thing, because they know when they went in there, they did wrong. They're covering up. That's why they're not showing everything. They're covering up," Bonnie Pigram said.
Goodlow's family said it isn't over, and attorneys said their attention now turns to the federal civil suit, where they remain adamant they'll get every piece of evidence that they believe will show an unjustified shooting: one that should've been charged criminally.
"We want the world to know what we lost, and what they took from us," Goodlow's brother Michael Pigram said.
He said his family was robbed by the justice system.
"We are going to do everything we can to get some level of justice for Isaac's family. There's no real justice because Isaac is not coming back. But this officer and these officers should have been held accountable. They were not," Stroth said.
