The Marshall County States Attorney says the deputy who fatally shot a Lacon man in April followed departmental policy. Authorities say the officer will not face criminal charges in the case.
State's Attorney Paul Bauer showed pictures today taken by a witness the day Deputy Wayne Strawn fatally shot 23-year-old Scott Sheets Junior just outside of Lacon.
Sheets' family members called police for help April 29, because they said he was suicidal and had not taken his medication. When police found Sheets he was in a field off Route 26 outside Lacon and armed with a knife.
As police tried to apprehend him they say Sheets refused to put down the knife and continued towards Deputy Wayne Strawn, who shot Sheets twice.
Bauer said, "It's the opinion of my office and the Illinois Attorney General's office that the use of force by Deputy Wayne Strawn in this situation was not only reasonable, but absolutely necessary to save his life and the lives of innocent bystanders and passerbys.
Bauer showed several photos taken by a witness the day of the shooting, one of them showing Sheets just before the deputy shot him.
Daniel Cusack is the attorney for the Sheets family. He calls the results of the investigation "cliff notes."
He said, "Only one picture is material, the picture where the officer has a gun drawn, okay. Did you see anybody lunging. You saw a right hand extended like this, the father's right behind him. We've heard these adjectives, approached, lunged. Was somebody attacking somebody. Hell no."
Cusack says he is still waiting to see the actual police report which he says is several pages thick. He says he wants to read that before commenting about whether the family will file a lawsuit.
Marshall County Sheriff Rob Russell says Deputy Wayne Strawn is back at work and says there will be no review of departmental policies as a result of the shooting.
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