Elgin police released video Thursday March 22, 2018 to media and to the family of Decynthia Clements, age 34, who was the victim of a police-involved shooting on eastbound I-90 on Monday, March 12, 2018.
Family members of Clements saw an edited version of the 30 hours of video Thursday morning. Thirty hours of unedited video was released to the Illinois State Police for investigation. Edited video was released to area media on Thursday.
Elgin police say Decynthia Clements drove off from a traffic stop in Elgin and entered eastbound I-90 from Dundee Ave (Route 25).
The released summary video began with officers attempting to pull Clements over while she was driving erratically near Dundee Avenue and Interstate 90 about 12:38 a.m. The video shows the termination of the chase on eastbound I-90 when she does not comply.
Later the vehicle was discovered on westbound I-90 near Route 25. The vehicle was discovered with four flat tires with the drivers door near a Jersey wall. The video shows officers approaching her vehicle, with the damaged and missing tires, on the left shoulder of the westbound lanes of I-90. Officers are shown attempting to speak with Clements to convince her to get out of the car. Police tell her she is under arrest on a loudspeaker at about 12:59 a.m. Monday March 12, 2018. She refuses to exit the car.
When Clements attempted to drive away, police officers expressed concerns that she might drive into traffic and injure herself or other motorists. Eventually, officers pinnned her vehicle between two squad cars to prevent her from driving any further.
A police officer can be heard telling an IDOT employee that she has a knife in her right hand, and that she might be under the influence, and in possession of a white powder. The IDOT employee is told that she might be suicidal and they don’t want her to pull out and get away.
About 2:06 a.m. after the police prepared to approach the car with rubber bullets and shields, smoke start showing from her car, and the vehicle begins to burn. Clements opens her door with difficult smoke conditions inside the car. Initially, she is barely visible.
Unedited video shows Clements exiting the car while holding a knife, and getting shot. She was shot three times; at least once in the head.
Illinois State Police are investigating the shooting.
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