UPDATE
October 13, 2022 – The suspect who was killed after firing shots at police during an early morning traffic stop Wednesday has been identified. Jamontey Neal, 32, of Decatur, was pronounced dead at DMH at 12:48 a.m. Wednesday.
At around 12:25 am, Decatur Police Officers stopped Neal in the 1300 block of E. Walnut. Though he nature of the stop has not yet been disclosed, Decatur Police Chief Shane Brandel stated that the officers are part of the CAT team, or community Action Response Team, whose focus is to target violent offenders and gun crimes. According to Brandel, The CAT team, which consists of 8 members and a small street crimes unit, has seized over 60 firearms since May. According to the police statement, Neal was ordered to show his hands. When he refused to comply, one of the officers observed what was believed to be a handgun in the vehicle and officers attempted to remove Neal from the vehicle. That’s when Neal fired multiple rounds at the officers at close range and the officers returned fire.
During the exchange of gunfire, one Decatur Police Officer was hit multiple times and a second Decatur Police Officer was hit one time. One DPD officer is in stable condition. The other DPD officer is in serious but stable condition and underwent surgery for his wounds. Neal was also shot multiple times and was transported to DMH, where he was pronounced dead.
As standard procedure for this type of incident, The Illinois State Police will now be conducting the investigation. The DPD officers involved in the incident will be placed on Administrative Leave, which is also standard procedure.
This incident was captured on both body-worn camera and in-car video. Brandel stated that the Decatur Police Department will release the videos in the near future once all witness statements have been collected.
“The Decatur Police Department is committed to a full and transparent investigation into this incident. In addition to the investigation being conducted by the Illinois State Police, the department will conduct an internal investigation into the incident” Brandell stated. “Anytime there is a loss of life, we are saddened, and our condolences go out to the family and loved ones of the deceased. We are also hurting for our officers, who were out working the streets trying to confront violent offenders and they were faced with an officer’s worst nightmare. Our prayers go out to the family and friends of our officers.”
We will update this story as more information becomes available.
Listen to the full press conference below:
