Lawsuit Filed After Security Guard Killed By Police

ROBBINS, IL — A Midlothian police officer fatally shot an armed security guard during an exchange of gunfire at a Robbins bar over the weekend. Witnesses told WGN-TV that Jemel Roberson, 26, was shot after he had apprehended one of the men involved in the fight that escalated to a shootout early Sunday.

Four others also were hurt by the shots fired during the incident. The wounded — none of whom had life-threatening injuries — were taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn and Metro South Medical Center in Blue Island, according to the Daily Southtown.

A $1 million federal lawsuit was filed Monday by Roberson's family against the police officer in the shooting and the Village of Midlothian, the Southtown reports. The lawsuit alleges that the officer was “intentional, willful and wanton” in shooting Roberson, the report added.

The shooting happened at about 4 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 11, at Manny's Blue Room, 2911 S. Claire Blvd. Robbins Police Chief Roy Wells told the Southtown that an argument had turned to gun play when a man went outside and returned with a pistol.

When the man started shooting, Roberson returned fire. He eventually was able to subdue one of the men in the original argument, bringing him to the ground outside the bar, witnesses told WGN.

"He had somebody on the ground with his knee in back, with his gun in his back like, 'Don’t move,'" said Adam Harris, who was at Manny's during the shooting.

Officers from multiple jurisdiction — including Midlothian — had reached the scene, the Southtown reports.

"[When police arrived, e]verybody was screaming out, 'Security!' He was a security guard. And they still did their job, and saw a black man with a gun, and basically killed him," Harris added about the fatal shooting of Roberson, who was black.

Cook County sheriff’s investigators are looking into the bar fight, and Illinois State Police is investigating the shooting by the Midlothian officer.

The identity of the officer has not been released. Midlothian police would only confirm that a fatal officer-involved shooting occurred. The village also declined to comment about the shooting and the lawsuit, only expressing condolences for Roberson's family.

A GoFundMe page has been started to pay for Roberson's funeral expenses.

More via WGN-TV and the Daily Southtown

Jemel Roberson (Photo via GoFundMe)