1. East Moline officer-involved shooting rules
2. Deadly officer-involved shooting in East Moline.
Accident – Death – Obituary News : State’s Attorney Dora Villarreal has concluded that the East Moline Police were justified in their use of lethal force in the shooting incident that resulted in the death of 80-year-old Eugene Mewes last month.
May 16 Incident
The incident unfolded on May 16 when law enforcement officers responded to a call at the Hometown Harbor apartments regarding an assault. An employee at the complex reported that Eugene Mewes, 80, had assaulted him following a dispute over maintenance work carried out at Mewes’ residence.
Mewes became agitated and proceeded to choke the employee, causing him to fall from his motorized scooter, as detailed in Villarreal’s report. Both individuals required medical treatment and were discharged on the same day.
May 17 Incident
On May 17 at approximately 2:15 p.m., East Moline officers were once again dispatched to the same location after receiving a report of an individual brandishing a firearm. The same employee alleged that Mewes had fired a shot at him, narrowly missing his target.
In a dramatic turn of events captured on video, Officer Garrett Kistner approached Mewes, who was seated on a motorized scooter, with caution. Lt. Dustin Edkin arrived on the scene as Mewes held a semi-automatic pistol to his chin, situated near the Hometown Harbor Community Room Building and the East Moline Christian School where students were present.
Officers instructed Mewes to drop the weapon, but he defiantly refused, challenging the authorities to shoot him while maintaining his finger on the trigger. Subsequently, both officers discharged their firearms, striking Mewes four times. Despite their efforts to assist him while awaiting medical assistance, Mewes succumbed to his injuries three days later. The area was cordoned off by officers from the East Moline Police Department and the Integrity Task Force.
May 22 Update
On May 22, it was confirmed that both officers tested negative for the presence of drugs and alcohol. Investigations by the Integrity Task Force revealed that Edkin fired three shots, while Kistner fired two shots. An additional shell casing was discovered approximately 20 feet from Mewes’ position during his earlier confrontation with the employee, with a preliminary ballistics examination linking it to the gun Mewes was holding.
The report underscores that the use of lethal force was deemed necessary to safeguard the officers and their colleagues from a credible threat of imminent death or serious bodily harm. Given the circumstances faced by the officers at the time, their decision to resort to deadly force was justified:
- Officers were aware of Mewes possessing a weapon.
- Prior to their arrival, Mewes had discharged his firearm in the direction of another individual.
- Mewes adamantly refused to relinquish the weapon, indicating his readiness to fire imminently.
- Mewes made statements suggesting suicidal intentions, raising concerns about potential harm to law enforcement officers.
- The incident occurred in broad daylight on a public street near a community centre and a school.
- Following Edkin’s initial shot, Mewes turned his weapon towards Kistner.
.
– State’s attorney rules on deadly East Moline officer-involved shooting
– East Moline officer-involved shooting state’s attorney ruling.
