TV6 Investigates analyzes video of deadly Princeton police shooting
3-year-old held at knife-point was accidentally shot by police
WARNING: This video and accompanying story depict graphic scenes. Discretion is advised.
PRINCETON, Illinois (KWQC) - It was after 2 a.m. on Mother’s Day when officers were dispatched to a rural Princeton home where a man had a family barricaded inside.
Less than an hour later, a child would be dead.
On Wednesday, officials released body cam video showing police attempting to shoot the suspect. They hit a 3-year-old instead.
TV6 Investigates analyzed the video and unpacks what unfolded.
It starts with police already in the house. Anthony Daniel Rodriguez, 42, is holding a family at knife-point in a back bedroom.
He yells at officers to leave. As a woman pleads with police not to shoot him, officers ready non-lethal weapons.
One officer deploys a Taser toward Rodriguez, who is behind a door. Rodriguez shouts but continues to block the door.
An officer asks the others if Rodriguez is alone.
“There’s still kids in there?” he says.
“Yeah, there’s still kids in there,” another answers.
For 30 seconds, police pause to discuss what they know.
“We can’t tell what he has on the kids?”
“I only saw he had a large knife.”
“He’s laying on the ground.”
“Apparently he has a large knife.”
“He’s got a large machete.”
“Yeah, he’s got a machete.”
They again plead with Rodriguez to come out.
“Just come out with your hands up.”
“You want me to pray for you? You come out, and I’ll pray for you, but you gotta come out.”
“No!” Rodriguez yells back. “Not until daylight.”
Police get a shield and approach the room where Rodriguez is still holding the family.
“He’s right by the door there,” one officer says. “You might want to get your gun out.”
Police kick their way into the room.
Rodriguez, still wielding the knife, suddenly jumps at the family huddled on a bed. Police fire two shots back-to-back.
The woman screams.
The video shows Rodriguez, apparently struck, stand up with the unconscious child and use him as a shield. Officers continue to order him to surrender.
For 2-and-a-half minutes, Rodriguez holds the limp child in front of him while officers have him at gunpoint.
“Hand him off right now! Put him down!” the officers yell over and over.
Police deploy a Taser on Rodriguez again. He still refuses to let go of the child.
Finally, 8 minutes after the gunshots were fired, police wrestle the boy from Rodriguez and subdue him.
Prosecutors cleared the police of wrongdoing on Wednesday.
Rodriguez is charged with aggravated unlawful restraint, aggravated assault and domestic battery.
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