Elk Grove Village officials were informed this week that all Elk Grove Village Police Officers acted appropriately in the fatal shooting of a 24-year-old man in December 2023.
The Elk Grove Village Police Department requested assistance from MCAT to conduct an independent investigation into the incident. MCAT is a regional investigative team comprising 26 area police departments that contribute investigators and evidence technicians to assist agencies in need of independent major case investigations. After a thorough investigation by MCAT, along with a review by the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office and the Office of the Illinois State’s Attorneys Appellate Prosecutor, the actions of the Police Officers were consistent with all applicable laws and regulations.
“The findings from MCAT, the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office and the Office of the Illinois State’s Attorneys Appellate Prosecutor confirm that officers responding to a very difficult and challenging situation acted in a way that was appropriate given the threat posed to their own safety,” said Elk Grove Village Mayor Craig Johnson.
On December 1, 2023, around 4:30 pm, Elk Grove Village Police Officers responded to a 9-1-1 call of a man with a knife at a residence on the 200 block of Fern Drive. Officers arrived and parked down the street from the location to provide time and distance to assess the situation. Mr. Jack Murray, an Elk Grove Village resident, exited his home and advanced towards officers while holding a large knife in his hand. As he continued to advance toward the officers, Mr. Murray ignored multiple commands from officers to put the knife down. As Mr. Murray came into close proximity to our Police Officers, they deployed a Taser on Mr. Murray two separate times to no avail. Mr. Murray continued to advance toward officers with the knife in his hand. Officers were then forced to protect themselves and utilize their firearms to stop Mr. Murray. Officers immediately started first aid and life-saving measures until paramedics arrived on the scene. Mr. Murray did not survive the incident.
“Elk Grove Village places a high priority on ensuring that our Police Officers have the resources and training they need to respond to the variety of situations presented to them on a daily basis,” said Mayor Johnson. “While this incident was a tragedy, we are grateful that our officers adhered to their training by taking steps to de-escalate the situation and attempting to use less-than-lethal force.”
The Elk Grove Village Police Officers who responded to the incident on December 1, 2023, had a combination of Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) training, mental health training, and de-escalation training, all of which were utilized during the response to this incident.
“This was a very sad and tragic incident for our community and we continue to offer our condolences to Mr. Murray’s family and loved ones,” said Elk Grove Village Mayor Craig Johnson. “We are grateful for the assistance from our partner agencies and hope that this information will continue the healing process for the community and the officers.
