Rock Island Today

Four Rock Island officers were cleared of charges in the fatal shooting of a man who fired at them with a pistol after repeatedly being warned to drop his gun.

Rock Island County State’s Attorney Dora Villarreal said the officers were justified in their use of force in the death of Akbar Eddy, 27.

“I have determined that all four officers were justified in their use of deadly force, in the discharge of their duty weapons, in their encounter with Akbar Eaddy,” Villarreal said in a news release reported by KWQC.com.

The incident took place in the early morning of Nov. 17 when police were summoned to a residence after a 911 call reported a woman being battered by a man. Police found the woman who was pregnant with visible bruising and bleeding on her face.

Eddy had left the scene in a car and was stopped by officers at 24th Street and Seventh Avenue for questioning. Eddy then accelerated the car, almost running over an officer, and was pursued by officer vehicles. The suspect abandoned his car at 13th Avenue and 22nd Street and fled on foot.

Eddy was seen loading a pistol and fired at officers who repeatedly yelled at him to put the gun down and surrender. Instead Eddy kept firing. He was hit six times by officers' bullets. Laying on the ground he was found to be holding two pistols, one in each hand, as officers approached, the report said.

The officers were wearing body cameras during the exchange of gunfire. There were several witnesses to the incident and additional evidence was provided by filmed recordings from private residences.

The weapons Eddy carried were found to be semiautomatic pistols of .32 and 9mm caliber. Eleven spent shell casings were found at the scene.

The report said Eddy was illegally carrying loaded weapons and was a danger to the officers and bystanders.

The officers – identified as Costas, Lawler, May and Zier – used force in a reasonable and justified manner, the report concluded.