Trial to begin Monday for former Waukegan Police Officer Dante Salinas in 2020 shooting of Marcellis Stinnette, 2019 incident

WAUKEGAN, Ill. (WLS) — A trial is set to begin Monday for a former Waukegan police officer who is charged with second degree murder.

In October 2020, investigators reported that Dante Salinas fatally shot 19-year-old Marcellis Stinnette and wounded his girlfriend, Tafarra Williams, during an attempt to stop their vehicle.

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According to Waukegan police, the 2020 event began as a routine traffic investigation of a suspicious vehicle but quickly turned into a police pursuit and subsequent shooting, which was captured on a police dashcam video.

Prosecutors said Salinas fired seven shots, killing Stinnette and injuring Williams.

Salinas is also charged with aggravated battery for a separate incident in 2019, while arresting a man at a family baptism.

Ex-Waukegan Police Officer Dante Salinas faces charges in the fatal 2020 shooting and a 2019 incident.
Families of Marcellis Stinnette and Tafara Williams file lawsuits over deadly Waukegan police shooting.
Authorities release video of Waukegan police shooting incident that resulted in a teen’s death and a woman’s injury; families review footage with lawyers.
The woman wounded by Waukegan police speaks out, with the family attorney urging for a criminal investigation.
Community demands further action after Waukegan officer’s dismissal over the shooting that killed a teen and injured a woman.
Waukegan police shooting: Family members of the couple shot by an officer organize a protest march, with the wounded woman speaking publicly for the first time.

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