July 10, 2022, Officer-Involved Shooting

JUNE 23, 2023 UPDATE

It has been nearly one year since the tragedy involving Madeline Miller took place. All parties involved, from the Miller family to the officers who responded that day to concerned members of our community, are entitled to a timely conclusion to this process. It has been nearly a year since the incident, and everyone is eager to learn the outcome of both the Illinois State Police investigation and the Cook County State's Attorney's (C.C.S.A.O.) review.  

We have frequently communicated our desire to learn the results of this review to the C.C.S.A.O. and are hopeful the office will complete its work soon.

The Flossmoor Police Department conducted a thorough review of the incident immediately after it happened. It reviewed body camera footage and interviewed witnesses and the officers involved. It concluded that the two officers responded in accordance with the Flossmoor Police Department's Use of Force policy.

As for our broader efforts to continue to provide the best service possible to our residents, our progress is focused on two primary areas:  strengthening the relationship between our Police Department and the residents it serves and enhancing the Village's capacity to respond to persons in the midst of a mental or behavioral health crisis. The following provides an update on both of these areas.

The Community Relations Commission, as directed by the Mayor and Village Board, researched and provided recommendations stemming from the October 2022 Community Forum. These recommendations included hosting multiple events whose purpose is to strengthen the community connection to our Police Department. The Village held a Coffee with a Cop event this June and plans to hold similar events this year. Additionally, we are organizing National Night Out, on August 1, 2023.  

Acting on the Commission's recommendation to strengthen transparency and communications, the Village is exploring how it can use technology to share crime data and information with the public on our Village website. Police command staff now has the ability to update the Flossmoor Police Department web page, so it can now share more current, timely and relevant information with our residents.

The Village Board approved updates to the Village's social media policy. This paves the way for the Police Department to launch its own Facebook and Instagram accounts. We're excited to be moving forward with these initiatives, because we know that by sharing information, we are better positioned to strengthen the bond between the police and the community they serve.

When the July 10, 2022 incident occurred, the Village had already been exploring how it could take a leadership role in delivering services that support the growing needs of residents who are in mental crisis. 

The Village was working with our consolidated dispatch center members to analyze mental health call data. The increased calls for mental health are prevalent throughout not only our area but the country. Based upon the additional needs of our community, Village staff has met with leaders from Grand Prairie Services and other regional mental health professionals to discuss what services can be offered to those suffering from a mental health crisis. Members of Grand Prairie Services and the other participating organizations have committed to training E.M.S. and law enforcement to develop relationships, provide awareness of their organizations' services and integrate their services in responding to mental health calls when appropriate. This work will continue aggressively because we know the need is only increasing, and we cannot wait for state mandates to address this critical challenge.  

The State of Illinois' Community Emergency Services and Support Act (C.E.S.S.A.) implementation continues progressing slower than originally slated. State-wide implementation of C.E.S.S.A. will likely be delayed until July 2024. The Village will continue to take a progressive stance on this topic and nurture our relationships with the mental health professionals in the area to better serve the needs of our residents. It should also be noted that when C.E.S.S.A. is fully implemented, a mental health crisis team will not respond to calls for service that involve a weapon or a threat of violence for the safety of those teams. Officers will respond to calls for service involving threats of physical injury to self or others like the July 10, 2022, incident. Our Fire and Police Departments have recently coordinated with a Mobile Crisis Response Team through Grand Prairie Services, which led to a positive outcome in an incident involving a mental health crisis. 

And finally, we would like to remind everyone in the Flossmoor community that Flossmoor Officers and Emergency Medical Services continue to respond to calls involving individuals suffering a mental crisis on a regular basis, and those calls are handled professionally, capably, and safely, as is the objective with every call. We are committed to strengthening our capacity to deliver professional public safety services to our community while working every day to ensure the relationship between the police and Flossmoor residents is based on trust, transparency, and a shared commitment to keeping our community safe.

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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.