State’s Attorney’s Office: Joliet Office Justified in Fatal Shooting

The Will County State’s Attorney’s office has issued a letter regarding a use of force by the Joliet Police Department on May 27 of 2019.

It was at 4:10 am, Joliet police officers were dispatched to a domestic battery in progress in the 1200 block of Justice Lake Drive. When officers arrived they found the residence was on fire.

Upon making entry, the officers found a hostage situation and were fired on by an male with a handgun. One of the officers returned fire and the offender, 44-year-old Nakia Smith was pronounced dead at the scene.

Three officers were transported to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries. The hostage, 43-year-old Kimiki Truss, was also transported to the hospital where she was later pronounced deceased. The official cause of death for both individuals is multiple gunshot.

These state’s attorney’s office has stated that the use of force was justified as Smith posed a danger to the officers, Kimiki Truss and the community.