Donte T. Jones, a 36-year-old African American man, was shot and killed in the early morning hours of October 2, 2016, outside the Stadium nightclub at 16300 Dixie Highway in Markham, Illinois. A large fight involving an estimated fifty to one hundred people broke out in the club’s rear parking lot; security called 911 and Markham officers, including Officer Carl Wright, responded. Surveillance footage shows Jones firing a handgun once; no one was struck by that shot.

As Jones ran toward officers with the weapon, Officer Wright fired multiple times, striking Jones in the chest, back, right thigh, right arm, and left hand. Jones was pronounced dead at Ingalls Memorial Hospital.The Illinois State Police Public Integrity Task Force investigated, reviewing surveillance video, witness interviews, police reports, and medical records. The Cook County Medical Examiner’s autopsy confirmed five gunshot wounds; toxicology showed a blood-alcohol level of 0.042 and no cocaine, fentanyl, or opiates. The investigation concluded Officer Wright believed he faced a serious threat, and the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office declined to file criminal charges.

Jones’s family, including his mother Barbara Jones, held press conferences seeking answers and justice.