Peoria Mayor Rita Ali says she expects the Illinois State Police to conduct a full and transparent investigation into Monday night’s fatal shooting of a man by four Peoria police officers.
Samuel “Vincent” Richmond, 59, of Peoria, was shot multiple times and died at the scene in Martin Luther King Jr. Park, according to Peoria County Coroner Jamie Harwood. Police Chief Eric Echevarria has said Richmond was armed and placing officers in a life-threatening situation that necessitated deadly force.
While the exact circumstances of what led up to the shooting remain unclear, Ali says the ISP investigation should be able to shed more light on the incident.
“I assume that at one point, in all transparency, we'll see video and we'll get a lot more information about what actually transpired that night,” said Ali. “They will determine whether it's considered a justified officer involved shooting or not, and hopefully they will come back with that information very quickly.”
The four Peoria police officers who fired their weapons have been placed on administrative leave in accordance with department policy relating to investigations into the use of deadly force. Ali said officers are typically given a 48-hour waiting period before they are interviewed as part of the ISP investigation.
“I'm sure members of the family of Mr. Richmond will be interviewed, and our heart goes out to the family members of Mr. Richmond,” said Ali, adding that she expects the investigation to be very thorough.
“It entails looking at the crime scene, looking at the automobile, looking at the weapon that the victim was said to have,” she said. “All that information – the coroner's report, the body cams – everything will be taken into account.”
Richmond’s death is Peoria’s fourth fatal officer-involved shooting in the last five years. The three previous incidents were deemed as justified by the Peoria County State’s Attorney’s Office.
