DuPage County Deputy Shoots, Kills Possibly Handicapped Black Teen: Update

A black teenager who was shot and killed by a DuPage County deputy Monday morning has been identified, officials said Tuesday.

Trevon Johnson, 17, was killed after a DuPage cop responded to a domestic violence call near Villa Park around midnight Jan. 2, the Daily Herald reported. It is reportedly the first fatal shooting by a DuPage County deputy in more than 20 years.

According to the Herald, Johnson was also believed to be mentally handicapped.

Police reports from the morning of Johnson's death state that after the first responding officer arrived at the home in the area of Standish Lane and Ardmore Avenue, he got into an altercation with Johnson.

The officer, who is white, was the only policeman on the scene at the time of the shooting. According to the Herald, he told investigators he thought Johnson had a knife on him and fired multiple shots at the boy.

Johnson was taken to Elmhurst Hospital and pronounced dead later the same day.

Neighbors told reporters it hadn’t been uncommon for police to visit the residence where Johnson was killed, and that it always seemed to be a domestic disturbance issue.

“There have been a lot of incidents at that house in the past year,” said Steve Dollinger, a resident who lives nearby. “We hear them a lot. A lot of fighting and screaming.” He and other neighbors said the calls to the home, which is occupied by a multi-generational family, were frequent.

The officer involved in this case hasn’t been publicly named yet. DuPage County public information officer Sgt. Robert Harris told the Herald in an email Monday that he wouldn’t comment on the officer’s position or tenure or provide any further details about Johnson’s death.

“The Illinois State Police is handling this investigation, so at this time, I’m unable to comment further,” he said. “Until we receive investigation information from them we can’t comment further. I’m hoping by early afternoon tomorrow that changes and we can provide additional details.”

Illinois State Police Master Sgt. Jason Bradley said the investigation into this case is routine.

“State police conducting an independent investigation into the shooting doesn’t mean the officer did anything wrong,” he told the Herald. “That’s just standard protocol to have a third-party agency do an investigation, as well.”

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