Sit-in at Rockford City Hall pushes for name of officer in shooting
cgreen@rrstar.com
ROCKFORD — About a dozen demonstrators are camping out on the steps of the south entrance to City Hall where they are awaiting city officials to release the name of the officer who shot and critically wounded a man Friday.
The injured man is Tyris Jones, 21. He was wanted on charges of aggravated discharge of a firearm and two separate warrants for aggravated domestic battery. He was spotted about 5:30 p.m. Friday by police in a vehicle and led officers on a chase when a traffic stop was attempted.
Jones later crashed his vehicle into another in the area of South Main Street and Springfield Avenue. He fled his damaged vehicle and at the time appeared to be armed with a weapon when he approached another motorist, Winnebago County State's Attorney Marilyn Hite Ross said at a Saturday news conference. "At that time the officer discharged his weapon."
Five shots were fired. Jones was struck once in the arm and twice in the lower back.
Hite Ross said a gun was not recovered.
Many of those camped out at City Hall are the same people who have taken to the streets this summer to join a national movement in protest against police brutality.
Among them is Aija Penix of Rockford. She and others have been holding what she called an "occupational sit-in" at City Hall since 9 p.m. Saturday.
"We want the officer's name released with as much expediency that they released the victim's name," she said. "We want the officer's history to be released as quickly as they released the victim's criminal history and want transparency not in words but in deeds."
Litesa Wallace, a former state representative, joined the demonstrators Sunday.
She too said there has been a lack of transparency by police, and said law enforcement too often fail to give suspects, especially those of color, their day in court.
"It is not the officer's right or role to be judge, jury and executor of any one," she said.
The demonstrators are appearing in shifts and plan to do so at least until Monday's City Council meeting, Penix said.
The investigation into the shooting has been turned over to the Winnebago Boone County Integrity Task Force, which is the protocol for in-custody deaths and uses of deadly force.
Illinois State Police Master Sergeant Chuck Davidson, who serves as the task force commander, is asking anyone who was in the area and has information to call 815-987-7844.
Chris Green: cgreen@rrstar.com; @chrisfgreen