July 10, 2022, Officer-Involved Shooting

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The following statements were made during the August 15, 2022, Village Board of Trustees meeting.

A statement from Flossmoor Police Chief, Tod Kamleiter:

The Flossmoor Police Department has submitted all of its reports to the Illinois State Police Public Integrity Task Force related to the July 10, officer-involved shooting. These reports were first shared with the family of the deceased and now, we are sharing them with the larger community. The most up-to-date information, including these reports, is available below. The names of the individuals involved, and the names of the Officers, have been redacted due to this incident being an active Illinois State Police Investigation.

After reviewing the incident report and the body-worn camera video, the two officers responded in accordance with the Flossmoor Police Department’s use of force policy, given the immediate danger in the home and the brandishing of a deadly weapon. We are confident the independent investigation will confirm our beliefs. It is the opinion of the Flossmoor Police Department that our officers responded in a manner, as they were trained, to protect the multiple lives that were in danger. Our support is with the officers who were faced with making a difficult, but necessary decision to use force during this tragic incident.

A statement from Mayor Michelle Nelson and the Village Board of Trustees:

The Village Board and I echo the Chief’s statement and support the officers and emergency personnel who responded to that dangerous call. What happened on July 10 is a tragedy and our hearts are with the Miller family and all those involved. In an effort to progress and heal from this tragedy, the Village is working with professionals and community partners to schedule a community forum in an attempt to navigate this national topic of discussion. Please be assured that we will continue to share more information as the investigation progresses.

Redacted incident Report July 10, 2022

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MEDIA ADVISORY

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT                     

Tod Kamleiter, Chief of Police

708-957-4500

July 13, 2022

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Our thoughts and condolences are with the family of the deceased and all who were involved in this tragic event.

On Sunday, July 10, 2022, Flossmoor Police responded to the 1400 block of Joyce Drive for a reported domestic disturbance, resulting in an officer-involved shooting.

At approximately 12:15 p.m., on Sunday, July 10, Flossmoor Police officers responded to a third-party call reporting a domestic disturbance at 1437 Joyce Drive with reports of an individual, later identified as Madeline Miller, believed to be armed and dangerous. The report alleged Miller was threatening and attacking a female family member with a knife. When Flossmoor Police arrived on scene, officers heard arguing and commotion inside the residence. After announcing their presence, an elderly woman using a walker opened the door for the officers, at which point the female family member began yelling loudly, “she’s trying to kill me.” As the elderly woman and the female family member cleared the doorway into another room, Miller emerged from around a corner – armed with a large kitchen knife – and quickly ran at the officers with the knife pointed in their direction. The officers retreated back into the driveway, commanding Miller to drop the knife, but she ignored the directions and continued to advance toward the officers at a quick pace. Still armed with the knife, Miller moved closer to the officers, at which point the first officer fired his weapon a single time, striking Miller in the arm. Nevertheless, Miller continued to advance toward the first officer, with the knife still in her hand and raised, when the second officer fired two more shots, striking her in the torso. A total of three shots were fired. The officers rendered emergency medical aid and radioed for paramedics. All of these events were captured on the officers’ body-worn cameras, as well as their squad car dash cameras. Flossmoor Police later learned the residence also has an interior security camera that recorded the earlier domestic disturbance. Miller was taken to Advocate South Suburban Hospital where she was later pronounced deceased. The female family member was also transported to an area hospital to be treated for injuries resulting from the domestic disturbance. The responding officers have been placed on administrative leave per departmental policy.

The Illinois State Police Public Integrity Task Force is conducting an independent investigation at the request of the Flossmoor Police Department. In the event of an officer-involved shooting, it is protocol to have the Illinois State Police Public Integrity Task Force conduct an independent investigation of the scene and the officers’ use of force. Video of the body-camera footage can be found at www.flossmoor.org. Please be advised that the video contains graphic material and may be difficult for some to watch. For more information on the Village’s policies on use of force and officer-involved shootings, please visit www.flossmoor.org/183/Police-Department.