POLICE CLEARED IN DEATH OF SUSPECT

State's Attorney Says Officers Acted In Self-Defense

LEWISTOWN - Three Illinois State Police officers who killed a suspect in a
drug raid last month by firing at him 10 times were justified in doing so,
Fulton County State's Attorney John Clark said Wednesday.

"The officers fired their weapons solely in defense," Clark said during a
news conference where he announced no charges will be brought against the
officers.

David L. Green, 47, had been under police investigation for around two
months for allegedly growing marijuana with his friend Daniel Matheny at a
rural Glasford property where the two men lived in separate buildings.

Police were serving a search warrant there and were confronted by Green,
who was hiding in a small hole in a wall, Illinois State Police Col.
Charles Brueggemann said.

The three officers involved in the shooting were all standing at different
angles from Green and yelled at him repeatedly to drop the handgun he had
in his right hand, Brueggemann said. The gun was a loaded 9 mm handgun.

Green refused to drop the weapon, threatened to shoot officers and pointed
at one of them with his finger on the trigger, Brueggemann said.

Two of the officers shot Green three times apiece with M-4 .223 rifles,
Brueggemann said. The third officer shot him four times with a .40-caliber
handgun. All the shots hit Green in the upper torso.

"Each of the officers fired instantaneously," Brueggemann said, with all 10
shots fired within one second.

Bruggemann said the standard that officers follow when forced to shoot a
suspect is to shoot twice in the torso and once in the head. He said Green
was on his knees when he was shot, which may be why he wasn't shot in the head.

A total of 42 State Police Tactical Response Team members took part in the
raid, Brueggemann said. Animal control workers were brought to the raid
because Green had five Rottweilers. A LifeFlight helicopter was on standby,
and an Army National Guard helicopter patrolled overhead.

Green's ex-wife, Linda Mordue, came to Wednesday's news conference.
Afterward, she said she does not agree with Clark's decision not to charge
the officers but respects the job he and the police have to do. She said
she is considering filing a lawsuit against police.

"I'm not shaken by this," she said. "I don't feel any less confident."

Brueggemann said Green "left the three officers no choice" but to shoot him.

"What occurred was tragic," he said when asked about the impact of Green's
death on his ex-wife and three daughters. "(But) had they not (shot him),
we may have buried one of our officers. They have kids and spouses, too."