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Gregory Walker

Gender : Male

Age : 65

Race : Black

Date : 05/10/2022

Location : 275 S Weber Rd

City : Romeoville

County : Will

State : Illinois

Agency : Will County SO

Officer(s) :Sheriff Mike Kelly, Sgt. John Allen

Cause of Death : Gunshot

Event : Killed by police during investigation

OPEN RECORDS SUMMARY :

Will County deputies responded to a call about a man allegedly holding hostages in a bank. Please arrived and claim that when he came outside, they shot and killed him. A lawsuit was filed alleging that he had been on armed at the time shooting. Will County Sheriff's Lt. John Allen, the sniper who fatally shot a 65-year-old Crest Hill man surrendering to police and walking out of the Fifth Third Bank on Weber Road one year ago, according to the lawsuit.

The bank's video surveillance footage of the Will County Sheriff's sniper shooting Walker has been withheld from release at the request of Will County's prosecutors, according to court records.
At no point during the past year has Glasgow's office or the Illinois State Police revealed the reason why the Will County Sheriff's sniper shot Walker in the first place. More than 2 years after the killing, police still reuse to release the bodycam videos.

"At the time he approached the exit, Mr. Walker’s hands were raised in the air, demonstrating that he was not in possession of any weapon," Evanston attorney Ian Barney outlined in February's federal lawsuit on behalf of Walker's sister, Brenda Nash-Milton. "At this time, Deputy John Allen discharged his firearm, striking Mr. Walker in the chest with a bullet. As our lawsuit alleges, Mr. Walker was a Black man shot dead by a white officer without any justification," Barney previously informed Patch. "We believe the video will clearly prove this.

On Wednesday, Melaney Arnold, chief public information officer with Illinois State Police, notified Joliet Patch that "the Illinois State Police completed its investigation of this matter and submitted it to the Will County State's Attorney's Office on July 18, 2022. Their review is active and ongoing. The Will County State's Attorney's Office has not authorized release of any video at this time."
In April, Barney, the plaintiff's lawyer, served a subpoena on the Illinois State Police for the records of the Illinois State Police pertaining to Walker's shooting at the Romeoville bank.
According to court records, Illinois State Police legal counsel Amelia Finch advised the plaintiff’s counsel that ISP would not produce documents at this time "due to the ongoing nature of Agent Jakubisin’s investigation. On that same date, Plaintiff filed a Motion to Compel the production of documents. The motion should be denied, and the subpoena should be quashed, because the law enforcement investigative privilege applies to the documents sought and ISP therefore should not be compelled to produce these documents at this time. According to the Illinois State Police's lawyer, "ISP does not object to the disclosure of documents once the investigation has concluded and the Will County State’s Attorney determines whether to file charges. However, as further explained in the attached declaration of Special Agent Jakubisin and letter from Assistant State’s Attorney Peter Wilkes ... the investigation is still ongoing and witnesses still need to be interviewed or potentially re-interviewed."

In late April, attorney Hal Dworkin, an assistant attorney general for Kwame Raoul, filed a four-page motion, urging the judge not to release any of the Illinois State Police records surrounding the May 10, 2022, sheriff's deputy bank shooting.

"This matter arises from the shooting death of Gregory Walker allegedly by Will County Sheriff’s Deputy John Allen," Dworkin wrote. "Illinois State Police Special Investigator Nicholas Jakubisin has been investigating this matter. Presently, Agent Jakubisin has been working with the State’s Attorney of Will County to assist the Will County State’s Attorney in determining whether to file criminal charges.
"The motion should be denied, and the subpoena should be quashed, because the law enforcement investigative privilege applies to the documents sought and ISP therefore should not be compelled to produce these documents at this time."

Lt. Allen's Lawyer Seeks Delay In Civil Lawsuit
Meanwhile, a lawyer for the Will County Sheriff's lieutenant has asked the federal court to delay proceedings in the federal lawsuit "until the Illinois State Police concludes its criminal investigation and the Will County State’s Attorney and/or other prosecutor renders a decision whether to initiate criminal prosecution against Lt. Allen related to his actions during the subject incident involving the decedent, Gregory Walker," court files show.

SOURCE LINKS :

https://patch.com/illinois/romeoville/will-co-sheriffs-sniper-killed-man-65-who-surrendered-lawsuit

https://abc7chicago.com/amp/fifth-third-bank-romeoville-gregory-walker-crest-hill/11846992/

https://www.wjol.com/crest-hill-man-killed-by-swat-officer-in-romeoville-identified-upd/