Statement from Lake County State's Attorney Eric Rinehart

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Lake County State's Attorneys Office


OFFICE OF THE STATE'S ATTORNEY
LAKE COUNTY, ILLINOIS
ERIC F. RINEHART
STATE'S ATTORNEY

Oct. 19, 2021

 

 

For Immediate Release
Contact: Jim Newton
(224) 374-2376
jnewton@lakecountyil.gov

 

 


Update From Lake County State's Attorney's Office on Stinette/Salinas Investigation


 

(Lake County, IL) - On October 20, 2020, Marcellis Stinette was killed. When I spoke to many members of Mr. Stinette’s family after his death, I expressed my condolences for their loss, my outrage at a system that has been apathetic to black and brown lives, and my unwavering commitment to finding the truth in this case. We continue to express our condolences to the family.  

We are continuing our work to reach the truth by consulting with the Illinois State Police, the FBI, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and outside experts. My office has stayed in contact with the attorneys for Mr. Stinette’s family, and, we have offered to allow the family to review material in our office. 

The cases involving Ahmaud Arbery, Jacob Blake, Rayshard Brooks, Anthony Brown, Philando Castile, George Floyd, Eric Garner, Laquan McDonald, and Walter Scott contained clear, unobstructed body-worn camera evidence or bystander footage. This case does not include the same type of evidence because former officer Salinas chose to delay activating his body-worn camera, and because there was no recorded footage from nearby bystanders.  

We are analyzing whether Mr. Salinas’s inaction warrants criminal charges. Because Illinois law firmly holds that cases cannot be brought in a piecemeal fashion, we cannot move forward until all potential charging decisions have been thoroughly explored.  

The attorneys and investigators in my office are particularly focused on ballistic evidence, trajectory analysis, and scene reconstruction. We are committing significant time and resources into this aspect of the case to supplement the initial investigation.  We will announce our decision when this investigative work is completed.  

We hear, appreciate, and respect the urgency of Mr. Stinette’s family and supporters. We understand and share their desire for justice, closure, and reform.   

The Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office is charged with the solemn responsibility of getting to the truth in this matter. Our decision will have ramifications throughout Lake County. We will get this right. Mr. Stinette, his family, his supporters, and the entire county deserve nothing less.  

 

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Lake County State's Attorney's Office
18 N. County Street
Waukegan, IL 60085  
Phone: (847) 377-3000