A former police officer from Waukegan, Illinois, has received his sentence in connection to a felony official misconduct charge dating back to 2019.
Dante Salinas is facing a penalty that includes 24 months of probation along with a 60-day jail term.
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“Law enforcement officers are entrusted with the responsibility of safeguarding the community. Salinas, however, breached this trust by misusing his power to settle a personal dispute with an unthreatening civilian,” stated Lake County State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart. He further emphasized that Judge Strickland, with over four decades of judicial experience, made a sound decision in both the conviction and sentencing of Salinas.
Salinas was dismissed from the Waukegan Police Department in 2020, following his involvement in a police-involved shooting.
Yet, in 2019, he faced allegations of aggravated assault stemming from an incident with a suspect near a baptism party in Waukegan.
About six years ago, Salinas responded to a Waukegan residence where a group of family and friends were gathered, reportedly due to loud noise emanating from the yard during their celebration.
That led to a confrontation with Angel Salgado, a man at the party. Prosecutors say the confrontation escalated with Salinas pulling out his gun before switching to his Taser.
Salinas pulled out the gun within moments of getting out of his squad car, video shows.
“He came out pointing the gun at Salgado’s face. At that point he has to have justification for shooting him. And Mr. Salgado has his hands up, no weapon. This is outrageous,” attorney Kevin O’Connor said.
Salinas’ bodycam shows him firing the Taser at Salgado several times. Prosecutors say the officer also punched Salgado in the face, breaking his eye socket.
In a bench trial, Judge George Strickland found Salinas guilty of battery and official misconduct. He was found not guilty of aggravated battery.
The judge said none of this was justified, while also acknowledging police officers have a difficult job.
“I can’t remember a time I saw an officer resort to striking (a suspect) this quickly. This should not have occurred,” Strickland said.
Prosecutors say they believe it’s the first time in Waukegan history a police officer has been convicted in relation to an arrest.
Investigators say Salinas also shot and killed 19-year old Marcellis Stinnette and injured his girlfriend, Tafarra Williams, after trying to stop the couple’s car.
Waukegan police said the incident started as a traffic stop, with Salinas investigating a suspicious vehicle. But the situation quickly escalated to a police-chase-turned-shooting heard on police dashcam video.
Prosecutors say Salinas fired seven shots but did not have his body camera recording until after the shooting.
Rinehart says Stinnette was a passenger in Williams’ car and did not commit any crime.
Neither Stinnette nor Williams had any weapons on them, Rinehart says.
Salinas is charged with second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter for the October 2020 shooting death.
A trial date has not yet been set in that case.
The video in the player above is from an earlier report.
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