PEORIA, Ill. – A fatal-officer involved shooting from May in downtown Peoria has been ruled justified.
The Peoria County State’s Attorney’s Office on Wednesday released its report into the May 8th shooting near the Four Points by Sheraton.
42-year-old Cortez White of St. Louis and 42-year-old Ashley Stenson of Atlanta, Georgia both died in the incident. Stenson was shot and killed by White, her ex-boyfriend, with White being shot and killed by police a short time after.
Details of what happened before, during, and after the shooting were outlined in the report.
Stenson had flown into Peoria on May 8th for a wedding that weekend, and was picked up by her cousin in the parking lot. After Stenson got into the car, White unexpectedly arrived and opened the passenger door and told her she was coming with him.
The cousin was reportedly confused as to why White was on the scene, but believed a Facebook post by Stenson of her flight was how White determined she was in Peoria.
Stenson got into the truck with White, but was texting family members that she believed he was going to kill her, and would not let her out of the truck.
Family members of Stenson called 911 at around 6:45 P.M. to report that White was going to kill her. Stenson constantly texted family members of their location as they drove through Peoria, and eventually texted that they were at Four Points. A Peoria Police officer arrived at the location and saw the pair outside on a sidewalk near the hotel.
The officer stepped out of the squad car and asked “Are you Ashely? Are you Cortez? Keep your hands up.” After that, White pulled out a gun and shot Stenson in the head in front of the officer. Stenson’s body dropped to the ground, with White then standing over her to continue shooting her.
White then pointed the gun at the police officer, with an exchange of gunfire following, and the officer firing several shots at White. White then attempted to flee from the officer, with the officer pursuing and continuing to shoot at him. White was eventually struck by a bullet and fell to the ground, with White later dying.
During the investigation of the scene, police spotted numerous spent shell casings on the sidewalk, the street, and near several vehicles. Multiple vehicles and the hotel’s exterior was struck by gunfire. A handgun used by White, a Tarus 9mm semi-automatic, was found on the sidewalk, with one magazine containing three rounds inside it.
Police found another handgun inside White’s pickup truck, a Glock 9mm semi-automatic, that was reported stolen. The weapon had one round in the chamber and 14 rounds in the magazine.
The State’s Attorney’s Office says that the evidence presented made it “abundantly clear” the officer was justified in using deadly force against White. The report states the officer was reasonable in his belief that deadly force was needed to prevent death or great bodily harm to himself and others.
The evidence cited as an “execution-style murder” in front of the officer, as well as White pointing a gun directly at the officer. In addition, the report cites the timing of the shooting, in “broad daylight” with several people in the area at the time.
