NAPERVILLE (WBBM NEWSRADIO) - A Naperville police officer will not be facing charges for fatally shooting a man who wielded a hatchet at him while he was conducting an unrelated traffic stop.
After a thorough investigation, DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin announced on Monday that officer Frank Tonkovich was justified in shooting and killing 28-year-old Edward Samaan in the late morning of June 3, at the intersection of Bond and McDowell.
Officer Tonkovich, a 22-year veteran, had pulled over the driver of a northbound black Honda Civic for disobeying a stop sign, when a silver Ford Fusion pulled up near Tonkovich’s squad car. The state’s attorney said while the officer was talking to the driver of the Civic, Samaan got out of his vehicle and, with a hatchet in his right hand, began running toward Officer Tonkovich. The cop then drew his weapon and fired six shots toward Samaan. The state’s attorney said the suspect was hit by five of those shots and died from his wounds.
“Officer Tonkovich reasonably believed that Edward Samaan was trying to kill him or the subject of the traffic stop, and reasonably believed deadly force was necessary to prevent imminent death or great bodily harm to himself or the driver of the vehicle he had stopped,” wrote DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin in his ruling.
Berlin added that the incident was a tragedy and believed Officer Tonkovich handled the situation best he could.
“Officer Tonkovich and all of the responding Naperville Police Officers should be commended for their professionalism during this extremely tense incident. Their concern for the safety and well-being of Edward Samaan after he had been shot is a testament to the excellent training they received from the Naperville Police Department. Our sympathies, condolences and thoughts go out to the family of Edward Samaan as they grieve the loss of a loved one,” Berlin said.
Listen to WBBM Newsradio now on Audacy!
Sign up and follow WBBM Newsradio
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
Related
