Man Critically Injured In Aurora Police Shooting on Colorado Avenue

Personal Injury - February 9, 2023

Man Suffering From Mental Health Crisis Critically Injured In Aurora Police Shooting

Man Critically Injured In Aurora Police Shooting on Colorado Avenue

AURORA, ILLINOIS (February 9, 2023) – A man was critically injured in an Aurora police shooting on the 900-block of Colorado Avenue by Elmwood.

DuPage County officials are saying that the incident took place on Sunday. Police responded to a call regarding a man who may have been armed with a knife.

Family members said that the man was having a mental health episode after a dispute with his girlfriend. Police are alleging that the man charged at them before he was shot multiple times.

Paramedics were called to the scene of the shooting in order to help the suspect. He was taken to the hospital with serious injuries.

The Kane County Major Crimes Task Force is conducting an investigation.

Liability For Aurora Police Shootings

According to the Washington Post, around 1,000 people are killed every year in police shootings in the United States. A disproportionate number of these shootings involve suspects in the midst of a mental health crisis. The International Bipolar Foundation has estimated at least 25% of those killed by police were suffering from an acute mental health crisis. There are a number of steps that police departments can take to help reduce police shootings.

  • Police officers should be well trained to de-escalate encounters with suspects suffering from a mental illness.
  • Police officers should be equipped with less-lethal options like stun guns.
  • Police departments should be transparent about all officer involved shootings.

Depending on the facts of any case, a police department in Illinois could be liable for a police shooting. Every person in the United States has a right to be free from excessive force exercised under the colour of law. In general, police officers should always use the least amount of force necessary. When an officer is dealing with a mentally ill suspect, there are guidelines that must be followed. For example, taking a mentally ill suspect into custody requires at least two officers to respond to the situation. There are a number of steps that should be taken after any officer involved shooting.

  • Body camera footage from all officers involved should be reviewed.
  • Eye witnesses should be interviewed.
  • Medical records should be preserved.
  • A thorough investigation should be conducted.

It can be hard to know where to begin after any police shooting. To make matters worse, police departments are almost never totally transparent about what took place. They will do everything that they can to deny liability for any incident. Any person that is injured in a police shooting may have legal recourse through a civil claim. Damages in a civil claim can help cover many of the costs that come with a serious injury.

Investigating An Illinois Police Shooting

We at Horwitz Horwitz & Associates extend our best wishes to the man injured in this Aurora police shooting. Any person that may have more information about what happened should reach out to investigators. It is our sincere hope that Aurora police officers receive better training so that other incidents like this may be prevented.

Have you or someone that you care about been harmed by the excessive force of Illinois police officers? There are a number of laws designed to protect your rights. Our team of civil rights advocates are here to answer any questions that you may have. We care deeply that victims of excessive force are aware of their rights and that those rights are being protected. Whether you just have legal questions or need any type of assistance we are here for you. You can reach out to us anytime at (312) 564-4256.