Des Plaines police shoot and kill 21-year-old Ayham Babidi during domestic call

Des Plaines police fatally shot 21-year-old Ayham Babidi on Wednesday after he approached an officer with an electric hedge trimmer. His father says his son was unarmed and suffering a mental health episode.

Father disputes police account after son killed by officer in Des Plaines

Des Plaines police fatally shot a 21-year-old man on Wednesday afternoon following a domestic disturbance call on the 2000-block of East Touhy Avenue, abc7chicago.com reports. The man, identified as Ayham Babidi, was pronounced dead after being struck by gunfire from a responding officer.

Officers were dispatched just after 2:30 p.m. following reports that a man was acting violently and breaking windows at a residential property. The first officer to arrive encountered Babidi in the front yard.

According to police, Babidi was "armed with an electric hedge trimmer" and immediately advanced toward the officer in a threatening manner. The officer ordered Babidi to drop the tool; when he refused, the officer discharged three rounds. The officer then administered medical aid until additional first responders arrived, but Babidi died from his injuries.

Babidi's father, Jamal, gave a different account. Speaking to a reporter from Univision, Jamal Babidi said his son was not carrying any weapon and was in the midst of a mental health crisis at the time he was shot. He said Ayham had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder approximately five years ago and had been undergoing treatment.

"We call police many times to help us take him to the hospital, not to kill him," Jamal Babidi said.

Jamal said he had recently had surgery and was not at home when the shooting occurred; he learned of the incident through a call from his daughter.

At least five evidence markers were placed beside shell casings at the scene. Shards of broken glass remained visible near the property — among the few outward signs of the shooting in what residents describe as a generally quiet northwest suburban neighbourhood.

A neighbour, identified as Sanders, said she had seen Babidi in the area before but had never witnessed any trouble involving him. She recalled hearing what she initially thought were five gunshots or firecrackers from her couch around 2:30 p.m., followed shortly by the arrival of police and the fire department.

"It shakes you to the ground," Sanders said. "I've been here my whole life. I've raised three kids in this house and never had any problems like this before."

Detectives were seen collecting security camera footage from nearby homes as part of their investigation into the circumstances leading up to the shooting. The Major Case Assistance Team has also been brought in to investigate.

Source: Google News MT — Crime (en)