Sheriff Kelley Caves After FOIA Lawsuit: Family Can See Body Cams

Joliet IL

14 April, 2022

8:30 AM

Description

JOLIET, IL — After being sued by the family of Eldred Wells Sr. and Jabbar Muhammad in a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit accusing him of violating the law, Will County Sheriff Mike Kelley now plans to let the family watch the body cameras of the Will County deputies who shot grandfather and grandson inside Wells' house last Nov. 6, 2021. Attorney Ian Barney told Joliet Patch on Wednesday that he had spoken with officials on the Will-Grundy Major Crimes Task Force, following his lawsuit, which also received substantial news media attention from CBS Channel 2 in Chicago as well as Joliet Patch on two consecutive days, Monday and Tuesday. On Wednesday, CBS Investigator Reporter Dave Savini produced a story, declaring, "After CBS 2 investigation, Will County officials will let family see body cam video in police shooting incident in which young man, grandfather died." During Wednesday's interview, Barney told Patch that the family is hoping to see the body camera footage in the near future. At this point, the sheriff's office only wants to make the body camera footage available for a private viewing, Barney said. Back on Nov. 7, Will County Chief Deputy Sheriff Dan Jungles issued a news release indicating that Muhammad, 21, was shot and killed by sheriff's deputies while the deputies were trying to save his grandfather's life, and that Muhammad fatally stabbed his grandfather. Jungles, however, did not disclose that Will County's deputies also shot the 70-year-old grandfather multiple times, including a gunshot to his back. Wells died at Silver Cross Hospital. Muhammad was killed in the house, in the 300 block of Middletree Road in Joliet Township. Since the November shootings, the Will County Sheriff's Office chose not to release any information to the family, and the Will County Coroner, Laurie Summers, also has not provided them with any autopsy reports, for over five months now. Summers is also being sued in the Freedom of Information Act lawsuit. Barney told Patch he does not plan to withdraw his FOIA lawsuit against both Will County officeholders at this point. Related Patch coverage: Will County Fails To Disclose It Shot 70-Year-Old Man: FOIA Lawsuit Will County Sheriff's Office Chief Deputy Dan Jungles did not disclose that one of his deputies shot 70-year-old Eldred Wells Sr. inside Wells' house on Nov. 6. Jungles did disclose that deputies shot and killed Wells' grandson at the time. (John Ferak/Joliet Patch )