Illinois State Police releases video of DeKalb fatal police shooting

DEKALB, Ill. — The Illinois State Police (ISP) has released video of a fatal October police shooting that left a Rockford man dead.

According to the ISP, the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office asked the ISP’s Division of Criminal Investigation to investigate the Oct. 23 shooting that left 42-year-old Abram Perez dead. The shooting occurred around 5 a.m. in the 6000 block of Rich Road in DeKalb. 

Following a vehicle pursuit, officers stopped the vehicle believed to be involved in a Rockford shooting the previous night. Officials found that Perez had a handgun and had taken one person hostage inside the vehicle. The hostage was released after “hours” of negotiation.

The video showed Perez holding a handgun and pointing it at himself before he began firing through his windshield in the direction of officers. 

ISP said that an officer fired one round, fatally striking Perez.