Will County finally shows a mournful family video from the camera from the time MPs filmed their loved ones

CHICAGO (CBS) – After days of pressure, Will County Sheriff’s Office finally showed off a sad family video from the time MPs not only killed their son but also shot his grandfather.

It only happens in a week CBS 2 Investigators first uncovered The sheriff’s office denied the family many opportunities to watch the video. A CBS 2 investigation also found that officials never told either family or the public that MPs also shot grandfather.

Family lawyer Ian Barney said he and the family privately watched the video at the sheriff’s office Tuesday afternoon. Barney said neither he nor the family will yet comment on what the video shows.

“The family has not yet commented, and they are asking for privacy when they view the tragedy and continue to mourn the loss of their loved ones,” Barney said.

More than five months have passed since deputies shot both men several times November 6 at their home in Joliet. In a press release after the shooting, officials said they shot 21-year-old Jabar Mohammed to prevent him from injuring his grandfather, 70-year-old Eldred Wells Sr.

But on April 11, CBS 2 investigators reported how some details were shrouded in secrecy. For example, the sheriff’s office never publicly reported that they had shot Wales in the news release. He also died.

Many representatives declined to explain why they chose to leave this information. In an interview with CBS 2, the family said officials left them in the dark, which did not allow them to close.

Rhonda Wells, Jabar’s mother and Eldred’s daughter, said she and her family struggled for months to see videos and other public documents to find out the truth about what happened. But they have repeatedly faced obstacles from agencies investigating the incident, including the Will Grandi Task Force on Major Crimes.

“I just want to know what happened. Why?” Wells asked in a previous interview. “Don’t leave us alone with our thoughts. Just let us know … we have nothing. We just want to know the facts. “

Prior to CBS 2, investigators, a task force and the Will County Attorney’s Office, which is investigating the deputies involved, have repeatedly refused to show the family the video. The Will County Coroner’s Office also did not release autopsy reports that could show how Eldred died and whether the cause of his death was related to stab wounds or gunshot wounds by lawmakers. The agency said it would not publish or show the family videos due to the ongoing investigation.

But on April 13, just two days after CBS 2 investigators released their story and family filed a lawsuit for public recordsthe sheriff’s office and the state’s attorney overturned their decisions. While officials said they would not publish the video publicly yet, they said they would finally allow families to view it privately.

“It’s a really important update for the family,” Barney said that day. “They waited five months – more than five months, in fact – to see the recording from the body camera and find out the facts of what really happened to Jabar and Eldred. They went through a lot of suffering because of this shooting incident, they struggled with the grief process of their loved ones. “

It may be a long time before the audience sees the video. A spokesman for the task force said earlier that officials would not release the clips until all investigations were completed.

If a Will County MP uses deadly force, an outside agency – in this case a task force – is required to investigate the case, according to Sheriff’s Office policy. The state prosecutor’s office will also investigate the officers and bring charges. The sheriff’s office will then begin its own internal investigation. A spokesman for the task force said that the average investigation into police shootings in some cases took more than a year.

Officials have not yet announced the names of the deputies who were involved and submitted staff, or their employment status. The Department’s policy states that a deputy who uses lethal force must be dismissed from office and placed on paid leave pending administrative proceedings.

You can view the force application policy that the Will County Sheriff applies below.