An attorney for the family of Marco Gomez, who was shot to death by a Forest Park police officer last Friday, said the officer’s action was unjustified and that police have provided few answers for what happened.
During a news conference held Wednesday evening, civil rights attorney Andrew Stroth said Gomez, a Glendale Heights resident, was "unjustifiably and unreasonably shot and killed" by the officer.
Gomez was shot and killed after police said he drove a vehicle toward a police officer after the officer attempted to stop him, believing he may have been involved in a hit-and-run crash.
At the news conference, held in the parking lot of a funeral home in Melrose Park where family had gathered for a wake for Gomez, Stroth said he’s in the process of gathering evidence related to the death, including surveillance footage from businesses surrounding the intersection and information from potential eyewitnesses. He said the Forest Park Police Department has not provided the family with any information about the shooting.
Forest Park Deputy Chief Michael Keating said previously that a silver Volkswagen matching the description of a vehicle suspected in a hit-and-run pulled up next to an officer in a squad car at the intersection of Jackson Boulevard and Harlem Avenue about 6:15 p.m. last Friday.
Keating said Gomez, who was driving the Volkswagen, attempted to reverse the vehicle but was blocked by another car that had pulled up behind. The officer then exited his vehicle and got in front of the Volkswagen, Keating said, at which point Gomez, 26, allegedly sped toward the officer.
He said police fired into the vehicle, killing Gomez. Keating said the officer believed his life was in danger.
Forest Park police release new details of fatal shooting by cop: ‘His life was in danger’ Katherine Rosenberg-Douglas
Forest Park police have released new details of a fatal shooting by an officer last week, saying it happened when a suspect in a hit-and-run pulled up at an intersection where a squad car was waiting to turn.The officer had been on the lookout for a silver Volkswagen when a car matching the description…
Forest Park police have released new details of a fatal shooting by an officer last week, saying it happened when a suspect in a hit-and-run pulled up at an intersection where a squad car was waiting to turn.The officer had been on the lookout for a silver Volkswagen when a car matching the description…
(Katherine Rosenberg-Douglas)
Police said they believed that Gomez stole the Volkswagen from a residence in Glendale Heights the week prior.
The Illinois State Police are also investigating the incident, and authorities have declined to say whether a weapon was found in the Volkswagen. The officer involved was placed on paid administrative leave, according to Keating.
During the conference, Melissa Marquez described Gomez, her first cousin, as someone who always wanted to make his family laugh. She said he adored his family and especially his mother.
"He would always do anything and everything for (his family)," Marquez said. She said Gomez’s mother is "very devastated" by her son’s death.
Gomez has a criminal record dating back at least a decade. He was arrested and charged with felony driving with a revoked license Jan. 30 by Schaumburg police, according to court records. He was convicted of the same crime last year and sentenced to 10 days in Cook County jail. Gomez was also sentenced to at least five years in the Illinois Department of Corrections for multiple theft and robbery convictions between 2007 and last year, according to court records. He also has two convictions in DuPage County for felony theft and possession of a controlled substance, and served prison time for both, according to court records.
Police: Forest Park cop fatally shoots hit-and-run suspect Chicago Tribune staff
A Forest Park police officer shot and killed a hit-and-run suspect as he was driving a stolen car toward the officer Friday evening, authorities said.The shooting happened around 6:15 p.m. near the intersection of Jackson Boulevard and Harlem Avenue along the border with Oak Park, according to…
A Forest Park police officer shot and killed a hit-and-run suspect as he was driving a stolen car toward the officer Friday evening, authorities said.The shooting happened around 6:15 p.m. near the intersection of Jackson Boulevard and Harlem Avenue along the border with Oak Park, according to…
(Chicago Tribune staff)
Eric Russell of the Tree of Life Justice League denounced the actions of the Forest Park Police Department during the news conference.
"Had (Gomez) been a Caucasian, we would have a different situation," he said.
Stroth said he hoped the police department would be transparent with the family as they conduct their investigation into Gomez’s death.
"To just believe what the police say is not something we’re going to do," Stroth said.
Lee V. Gaines is a freelance reporter. Tribune freelancers Clifford Ward and George Houde contributed.
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