No Charges For Flossmoor Cops In Fatal Shooting: State's Attorney

FLOSSMOOR, IL — Flossmoor police officers involved in the June 2022 shooting death of a 64-year-old woman will not face charges, the Village said Thursday.

An investigation by the Cook County State's Attorney's Office into the shooting of Madeline Miller determined the officers "were in full compliance with state statutes, pertaining to use of force by law enforcement officers, and that no evidence exists to support criminal charges being filed against either of the officers," the Village said in a release.

The State’s Attorney’s Office also referred the case to the Office of the Illinois State’s Attorney’s Appellate Prosecutor (ILSAAP) for further review, as required. ILSAAP reviewed the case and concurred that no criminal charges are appropriate.

The ruling comes more than one year after the shooting, and echoes statements from former police chief Tod Kamleiter, who last year called the shooting "difficult, but necessary.

"It is the opinion of the Flossmoor Police Department that our officers responded in a manner, as they were trained, to protect the multiple lives that were in danger," Kamleiter said previously. "Our support is with the officers who were faced with making a difficult, but necessary, decision to use force during this tragic incident."

Miller was shot July 10, 2022, after police were called to a home in the 1400 block of Joyce Drive for a report of a domestic disturbance. Miller was reportedly armed with a knife and threatening the life of a female family member, police said.

"When officers arrived on the scene and announced their presence, Miller charged the officers with a knife," the Village said. "The officers instructed Miller to drop the knife as they retreated to give her time to comply. She did not follow the officer’s commands and instead continued to charge at the officer with a knife raised in her hand. An officer fired a single shot that struck Miller in the arm. Miller continued to advance toward the officers with the knife raised. The second responding officer, fearful that he or his partner would be killed or seriously injured, fired two shots at Miller. The officers immediately called for medical assistance and provided first aid assistance to Miller..."

Miller was taken to Advocate South Suburban Hospital, where she was later pronounced dead.

The shooting and officials' response to it set in motion a flurry of public outcry, demanding greater transparency, mental health crisis intervention training for Flossmoor police. Many called for the police department to reveal the name of the officers; their names have not been released as of July 2023.

A community forum was held in October 2022 to discuss steps forward. Members of a community fractured by the shooting found their way into small discussion groups, led by facilitators, to guide conversations around police policy and procedure, community concerns, and proposed solutions. Residents called for better training for officers regarding mental health crisis intervention, as well as supplementary services from trained mental health professionals on-scene as possible preventative measures.

In June, Mayor Michelle Nelson said officials continue to work to address residents' concerns.

"... Our progress is focused on two primary areas: strengthening the relationship between our Police Department and the residents it serves and enhancing the Village's capacity to respond to persons in the midst of a mental or behavioral health crisis," Nelson wrote on the Village website.

"The Village is exploring how it can use technology to share crime data and information with the public on our Village website," she continued. "Police command staff now has the ability to update the Flossmoor Police Department web page, so it can now share more current, timely and relevant information with our residents.

The Village Board also approved updates to the Village's social media policy, enabling the police department to launch its own Facebook and Instagram accounts.

"We're excited to be moving forward with these initiatives, because we know that by sharing information, we are better positioned to strengthen the bond between the police and the community they serve," Nelson said.

Nelson addressed the increased need for mental health support and crisis intervention, as "increased calls for mental health are prevalent throughout not only our area but the country."

Officials have met with Grand Prairie Services and other regional mental health professions to discuss what services can be offered to those suffering mental health crisis.

"Members of Grand Prairie Services and the other participating organizations have committed to training E.M.S. and law enforcement to develop relationships, provide awareness of their organizations' services and integrate their services in responding to mental health calls when appropriate," Nelson said. "This work will continue aggressively because we know the need is only increasing, and we cannot wait for state mandates to address this critical challenge."

The State of Illinois' Community Emergency Services and Support Act (C.E.S.S.A.) implementation continues progressing slower than originally slated, Nelson continued, and state-wide implementation of C.E.S.S.A. will likely be delayed until July 2024.

"The Village will continue to take a progressive stance on this topic and nurture our relationships with the mental health professionals in the area to better serve the needs of our residents," Nelson wrote.

Nelson stressed that when C.E.S.S.A. is fully implemented, a mental health crisis team will not respond to calls for service that involve a weapon or a threat of violence for the safety of those teams. Officers will respond to calls for service involving threats of physical injury to self or others, like the July 10, 2022, incident.

Flossmoor fire and police departments have recently coordinated with a Mobile Crisis Response Team through Grand Prairie Services, which Nelson said led to a positive outcome in an incident involving a mental health crisis.

"... We would like to remind everyone in the Flossmoor community that Flossmoor Officers and Emergency Medical Services continue to respond to calls involving individuals suffering a mental crisis on a regular basis, and those calls are handled professionally, capably, and safely, as is the objective with every call," Nelson said. "We are committed to strengthening our capacity to deliver professional public safety services to our community while working every day to ensure the relationship between the police and Flossmoor residents is based on trust, transparency, and a shared commitment to keeping our community safe."