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Published on January 09, 2025
Oak Park Releases Bodycam Footage of Incident that Left Detective Allan Reddins Dead, Suspect Jerell Thomas ChargedSource: Klaus with K, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The village of Oak Park has made public the bodycam footage from a fatal encounter that resulted in the death of Detective Allan Reddins, the first Oak Park officer to fall in the line of duty in over eight decades. As reported by ABC7 Chicago, the village released the video from a shooting that transpired on November 29, 2024. Reddins was responding to an armed robbery when he was fatally shot.

During the incident, which occurred the day after Thanksgiving, multiple officers, including the slain detective, were responding to a call near the Oak Park Public Library where Jerell Thomas, armed and leaving a bank, had initiated an exchange that would turn deadly. As CBS News Chicago reports, bodycam footage from Detective Reddins shows the officer approaching the suspect, with a cautionary demand of "Don't reach, bro. Don't reach. Keep your hands up."

Additional footage from the incident, recorded by another officer's bodycam, revealed a brief interaction with Thomas, who responded "I'm alright" when greeted, followed by an escalating situation as officers repeated urgent commands for him not to reach for anything. Moments later, Thomas can be seen raising his gun and firing, as per CBS News Chicago.

After several shots were fired by officers from different angles, who were active in trying to apprehend the gunman, the suspect was eventually struck and apprehended. Police can be heard instructing Thomas to drop his weapon and come out, as audio from the released footage indicated. The wounded Thomas can be heard expressing pain and officers are seen applying a tourniquet to his leg.

The loss of Reddins shook the Oak Park community, with hundreds attending his funeral, remembering him as a courageous and supportive figure. Evanston police Chief Schenita Steward expressed, "The first qualities that come to mind are his loving and supportive nature," as she spoke of the detective's legacy. Reddins was also celebrated as a dedicated family man proud of his son, an honors student at Morehouse College. Meanwhile, Jerell Thomas is facing a litany of charges, including first-degree murder, and is expected to return to court on March 4, CBS News Chicago has learned.