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Lonnel Cephas

Age : 19

Gender : Male

Race : Black

Date : 08/27/2021

Location : Alley near 8th Street and Cleveland Avenue

City : Elkhart

County : Elkhart

State : Indiana

Agency : Elkhart Police Department

Officer(s) :Sergeant Mike Davis

Cause of Death : Gunshot

Event : Killed by police during arrest attempt

OPEN RECORDS SUMMARY :

On 08/27/2021, at approximately 10:22 a.m., Elkhart Police Department officers responded to a shooting at 514 West High Street. Police alleged that 19-year-old Lonnel Cephas Jr. had fired multiple rounds toward his estranged 15-year-old girlfriend and her mother during a domestic dispute. Neither woman was struck, but bullets penetrated a wall and door of the residence. One bullet struck Danton Munoz, a child who was only days away from his second birthday, in the head. Danton died from the gunshot wound.
Cephas left the residence before officers arrived. Police located his blue van a short time later and received information that a man matching his description was walking in an alley near 8th Street and Cleveland Avenue. Elkhart Police Sgt. Mike Davis, a 15-year department veteran, responded to the area and encountered Cephas.
According to the subsequent Elkhart County Homicide Unit investigation, Davis ordered Cephas to show his hands. Police alleged that Cephas initially concealed his right hand before displaying a 9mm handgun and raising it toward his own head. Davis repeatedly ordered Cephas to drop the weapon. Police alleged that Cephas then lowered the handgun and pointed it toward Davis.
Davis opened fire with his police rifle, striking Cephas multiple times. Cephas died at the scene. Investigators recovered the 9mm handgun underneath his body. Subsequent firearms testing determined that the recovered handgun had fired the bullets at the High Street residence, including the bullet that killed Danton Munoz.
The Elkhart County Homicide Unit investigated Davis's killing of Cephas. Investigators reviewed law-enforcement audio and video recordings, forensic evidence, the recovered handgun and autopsy findings. The autopsy determined that Cephas died from multiple gunshot wounds inflicted by Davis.
On 11/03/2021, Elkhart County Prosecuting Attorney Vicki Elaine Becker announced that Davis would not face criminal charges. Becker concluded that Davis's use of deadly force was justified under Indiana law because the evidence supported his account that Cephas pointed the handgun toward him. The prosecutor determined that a grand jury was unnecessary and declined to file charges.

SOURCE LINKS :

https://www.elkhartcountyprosecutor.com/news/press-releases/officer-involved-shooting-death-man-killed-elkhart-child-justified-under-indiana
https://wowo.com/identities-released-of-child-victim-and-officer-involved-in-elkhart-shooting-deaths/
https://www.wrtv.com/news/local-news/crime/elkhart-officer-will-not-face-charges-for-fatally-shooting-man-who-killed-boy
https://wsbt.com/news/local/police-shoot-kill-man-suspected-in-toddlers-shooting-death
https://www.wndu.com/2021/11/03/officer-involved-shooting-man-that-killed-elkhart-child-justified/
https://www.wndu.com/2021/08/27/2-year-old-is-shot-killed-elkhart-police-say-stop-violence/