Marvin Martin III : “Chillicothe Police Deadly Shooting Justified”

PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) — The top prosecutor in Peoria County, State’s Attorney Jodi Hoos, has declared that a fatal shooting in February resulting in the death of a Peoria man was justified.

According to Hoos, the actions of the officer involved in the incident were deemed “justified, reasonable, and necessary to protect the health and safety of the citizens of Illinois and himself from death or great bodily harm.”

The victim of the shooting was identified as 50-year-old Marvin Martin III of Peoria. The Peoria County Coroner, Jamie Harwood, stated that Martin suffered “multiple gunshot wounds to the anterior surface of his body and died instantly.”

On the day of the incident, the officer was in pursuit of a stolen vehicle when he observed the car pulling into a driveway on West Matthews Street in Peoria. After activating the squad car’s emergency lights, the officer approached the driver, later identified as Marvin V. Martin III. This encounter resulted in an exchange of gunfire between the officer and Martin, leading to the injury of the officer and the death of Martin.

Investigation and Decision

Following the shooting, the officer was placed on administrative leave, and the Illinois State Police took over the investigation as required by law. After reviewing the report presented by the Illinois State Police, State’s Attorney Hoos made the decision to declare the officer’s actions justified.

Under Illinois law, officers are permitted to use deadly force if they reasonably believe it is necessary to prevent death or great bodily harm to themselves or others. The decision to use force is evaluated based on the circumstances known to the officer at the time of the incident, rather than with the benefit of hindsight.

Rationale for the Decision

Hoos explained that the officer was justified in his actions as he was investigating a felony offence and approached Martin in full uniform. The officer issued commands to Martin and attempted to engage with him before Martin raised his gun and fired at the officer from close range.

The prosecutor emphasised that the officer’s response was an act of self-defence, as evidenced by video recordings of the incident showing Martin firing first. Hoos highlighted that had it not been for the officer’s bulletproof vest, Martin’s actions could have been fatal.

Hoos concluded by stating that the video evidence supported the officer’s account of the events, indicating that the officer acted in self-defence in response to Martin’s actions.

This story will be updated as more information becomes available.