Fatal Police Shooting In Vernon Hills Ruled Justified

VERNON HILL, IL — The fatal shooting of a Vernon Hills man brandishing an air rifle in his garage last year was ruled to have been justified. The officer who shot nine bullets at an intoxicated resident who had called police to his home acted "reasonably and appropriately" given the situation, Lake County State's Attorney Mike Nerheim announced Friday.

Randy J. Rausch, 34, was shot and killed at his home in the 100 block of Marimac Lane shortly after 2 a.m. on Sept. 15, according to an investigation by the Lake County Major Crimes Task Force.

About 20 minutes earlier, Rausch had called police to request assistance retrieving his things from his home and told dispatchers he would be waiting in the garage. The officer who responded to the call had been to the house in the past, as police would occasionally assist Rausch with getting his belongings from the house after his girlfriend would lock him out of the house, according to a summary of the investigation.

"This event illustrates how a seemingly innocent police task can suddenly become a deadly confrontation," Nerheim said, announcing that no charges would be filed in connection with the shooting.

The officer was familiar with Rausch and was aware of occasions where he had shown signs of being suicidal, he told investigators.

In one case, the officer found Rausch on some railroad tracks expressing suicidal thoughts. In another, he had reportedly tried to hang himself using a belt. Rausch faced hospitalization and involuntary commitment after both of those instances. But the officer had never seen Rausch with a gun and never known him to be confrontational with police, according to Nerheim.

When the officer arrived at an open side door, Rausch was sitting on a folding chair in the middle of his garage handling a 43.5-inch black air rifle, which appeared to be a fully functional rifle capable of firing full-sized rounds, according to the Lake County Sheriff's Office.

The officer, a 22-year veteran of the Vernon Hills Police Department, drew his firearm and radioed to report a man with a gun before ordering Rausch to drop the weapon repeatedly, according to the investigation.

"What are you going to do?" responded Rausch.

The officer told investigators he told Rausch, who "appeared very angry," to drop the gun about 10 times while remaining in the garage's doorway about 20 to 25 feet away. In a "taunting motion," Rausch moved his hands on the weapon to make it appear he was about to fire, according to Nerheim.

Rausch then put both his hands on the weapon and lowered it toward the officer, who told investigators he believed he was about shoot and worried the rifle's bullets could go through the walls of the garage and into the homes of neighbors.

"Because of that, retreat was not an option," Nerheim said. The officer, "believing that lives were in imminent danger, acted reasonably in eliminating that threat."

Toxicology tests found Rausch had a blood alcohol concentration of 0.217, almost three times the legal limit for intoxication, as well as morphine, antidepressants, antipsychotic and a tranquilizer.

Vernon Hills police cars do not have squad cameras and its officers are not equipped with body-worn cameras, according to Nerheim.

Lake County Coroner Howard Cooper said an inquest to formally establish determine Rausch's manner of death would likely take place Feb. 7.

Nerheim said the complete case file would be made available on his office's website in the coming weeks.