Rock Island police officer Ryan DeRudder was justified when he shot and killed Darrin A. Langford, who was armed, in April, Rock Island County State’s Attorney John McGehee said Wednesday.
In a 12-page decision, McGehee said DeRudder “acted justifiably” when he fired his gun “to protect himself and others.”
McGehee added that witness statements, evidence and autopsy results are consistent with DeRudder’s account of the incident.
The Rock Island County NAACP, in a news release, expressed “grave concern” about McGehee’s ruling and said the Department of Justice will be asked to investigate the death of Langford, a black man.
“We’re not saying that somebody intentionally distorted the report or the outcome,” president Berlinda Tyler-Jamison said. “We’re saying there needs to be a body that’s further removed from this investigation. That’s in the best interest of the Langford family, the community and law enforcement.”
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According to McGehee’s findings:
Rock Island police received a report of shots fired between 12th and 13th streets and 7th Avenue around 10:45 p.m. April 2.
A girl walking in the area approached Langford in front of the Church of Peace, 1114 12th St. The girl observed him to be highly intoxicated or exhibiting unpredictable behavior. She also saw him with a gun.
As she backed away from him, she told Langford that she had seen police officers in the neighborhood. Langford then without warning fired three shots in the air. The girl ran away from him.
Other juveniles in the area also witnessed Langford shooting a handgun in the air several times, “creating fear in them.”
DeRudder, who was at 12th Avenue and 12th Street, and other officers heard three gunshots. DeRudder also saw Langford with a gun.
Langford, still armed with a gun, looked at DeRudder and ran south on 12th Street. DeRudder chased Langford on foot and yelled for him to “stop” and “drop the gun.” Witnesses corroborated the account.
Langford ran into an alley east of Glenhurst Court, started to turn and rotated his right shoulder back toward DeRudder, who was still chasing him.
As Langford started to turn to his right with the gun in his right hand, DeRudder was in fear of his safety and fired four gun shots at Langford, the report states.
Langford was shot once in the right hip, left buttock and right back. None of the shots appeared to have been fired at close range.
Langford was taken to Trinity Rock Island, where he was pronounced dead at 11:35 p.m.
An autopsy performed the following day by Rockford-based forensic pathologist Mark Peters determined that the shot in Langford’s back, which pierced his right lung and heart, caused his death.
A toxicology screen revealed that Langford had a blood alcohol concentration of .298, nearly four times the legal limit to drive.
Langford’s brother, Jermaine Bell, confirmed that the .40-caliber Smith & Wesson handgun found at the scene was his and was taken without his permission.
A concealment-style holster was found in Langford’s pants, according to McGehee’s findings.
“With shots being fired, Darrin Langford endangered human life,” McGehee said in his decision.
Had Langford survived, he would have faced felony charges of aggravated discharge of a firearm and felon in possession of a firearm, McGehee said.
The case was investigated by the Rock Island County Integrity Task Force, which turned over its findings to McGehee in June. The Rock Island Police Department was not a part of that investigation.
Deputy Chief Jason Foy said in a news release Wednesday that the department’s office of professional standards conducted a separate, internal investigation regarding the department’s policies for the use of deadly force.
The investigation determined that DeRudder, an eight-year veteran, acted in accordance with the department’s policies, Foy said in the release.
DeRudder was placed on restricted-duty status during the investigation. He will return to active duty, Foy said in the release.
At a news conference last week, Tyler-Jamison expressed frustration with what she said was a lack of transparency surrounding the case and the timeliness of the investigation.
Tyler-Jamison on Wednesday renewed her call for officers to wear body-worn cameras Wednesday and said the NAACP will continue to advocate for non-law enforcement citizen participation or observation in police officer-involved shooting death investigations.
She also called on McGehee to hold a “productive” town hall meeting with members of the minority community to discuss the rationale of his findings and to hear the concerns of community members.
McGehee said Wednesday that he would cooperate with an investigation by the Department of Justice if they choose to take on the case.
He also said he is open to meeting with community members to talk about the findings he released Wednesday and other general community issues.
The estate of Langford filed a wrongful death lawsuit in June in U.S. District Court, Rock Island, against the city of Rock Island, DeRudder and an unidentified officer.
DeRudder and the city filed motions to dismiss the lawsuit on Tuesday. A hearing on the motions have not yet been scheduled, according to online court records.
