Posted May 19, 12 p.m.Updated 1:20 p.m.
State police have cleared Evanston officers of any wrongdoing in last month’s fatal shooting of a knife-wielding man, local police announced in a meeting with media Tuesday morning.
Two officers involved in the shooting of 32-year-old Desrick York have returned to duty, while a third is still recovering after losing a finger in the altercation, said Evanston Police Chief Richard Eddington.
Police fired 11 gunshots in the April 26 incident, Eddington said. Ten struck York, while the final one struck an officer as he was attempting to push away the man with the knife, resulting in his injury.
According to witnesses, York had been drinking throughout the weekend and was probably also high on cannabis at the time of the incident, the chief said. But results of toxicology tests are not yet available, he admitted.
Police are preparing for a civil lawsuit after receiving word from a local attorney that one would be filed, Eddington said.
The shooting occurred after the three officers responded to a landlord-tenant dispute at 1810 Church St., a little more than a mile from campus and a block away from Evanston Township High School.
The tenant, York, was armed with a four-inch pocket knife and had apparently threatened others in the building, EPD Cmdr. Tom Guenther said Tuesday. York ignored verbal commands to drop the knife and advanced towards the officers.
The first officer fired five shots, the second fired four and the third fired two, Guenther said.
York was pronounced dead at the scene. The Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office determined he died of multiple gunshot wounds, but the number of shots fired was not available until Tuesday.
The Illinois State Police Public Integrity Unit investigated the incident and determined the actions of each officer were legally justified, Eddington said.
The official results of the report will be released Wednesday morning, although the text of the report will not be available.
Tuesday’s meeting was meant to reveal the facts surrounding the controversial incident, to show police are taking it seriously, and to “begin the healing process,” the chief said.
Eddington added he plans to attend a 5th ward meeting on Thursday and expects to address resident concerns about the incident.
More to come.
