Man Killed by Police Did Not Use Child as 'Human Shield'

ROCKFORD -- Winnebago County State's Attorney Joe Bruscato says contrary to initial reports, the man shot and killed by police Thursday morning never attempted to use one of his children as a shield.

31-year-old Demetrius Bennett died in his home on the 1800 block of Montague Street. Police were escorting his wife Amanda Armbruster to the house at her request so she could pick up her things. Bennett answered the door, and then reportedly went to pick up one of his two kids. Police asked him to put down the child.  He eventually did give up the child and Armbruster took them out of the home.

Bruscato says Bennett then grabbed a knife.  In response, officers pepper sprayed him. Bennett then wiped the spray from his eyes and made what Bruscato called a "move".  Four Rockford police officers then shot him an unspecified number of times.

An autopsy on Bennett has not yet been performed, and the Winnebago County Integrity Task Force is investigating. The officers have been placed on paid adminstrative leave as is police procedure after a use of deadly force incident.