An Illinois police officer has died after a suspect used her gun to fatally shoot her.
Darius Sullivan, 25, is accused of killing Sgt. Marlene Rittmanic after she pleaded “for her life.” He’s also accused of critically injuring another officer, Tyler Bailey.
The shooting reportedly happened at the Comfort Inn hotel on Dec. 29 after Rittmanic and her partner Officer Tyler Bailey responded to complaints about dogs barking in an unattended car in the parking lot. Bailey and Rittmanic ended up linking the car to Sullivan’s alleged accomplice Xandria Harris.
When police arrived at the hotel door where the two suspects were, no one answered for about 14 minutes. Harris’ two children were inside the hotel room, according to the police report, the New York Post reports.
When Harris finally came to the door, at some point, Sullivan used a gun to shoot Bailey in the head. Rittmanic got hit but tried to run away. Sullivan eventually caught up to Rittmanic and took her gun. Harris also tried to help Sullivan get the gun away from Rittmanic.
“Sgt. Rittmanic was pleading with them to, ‘Just leave, you don’t have to do this, please just go, please don’t, please don’t,’” Kankakee County State Attorney Jim Rowe said Rittmanic pleaded. “She was desperately pleading for her life.”
Sullivan then allegedly fired two shots from what they believe was Rittmanic’s gun. The entire incident was captured on Rittmanic’s body camera. Now, both Harris and Sullivan are looking at the death penalty as punishment.
“Our State’s Attorney’s Office will now work to ensure these offenders face the harshest justice the law allows, no matter the jurisdiction, and to ensure that the full weight of the criminal justice system is brought to bear upon them and anyone who assisted them,” said Rowe in a press release.
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