The Killing of Demetrius Bennett

On November 1, 2012, an alleged domestic dispute occurred involving Demetrius Bennett and his wife. In the early morning hours, Bennett’s wife went to the Winnebago County Jail seeking assistance retrieving belongings from their shared home. Two Rockford police officers accompanied her to the residence to act as bystanders while she collected her items.

Local news initially reported that Bennett used his youngest child as a “human shield,” but accounts later clarified that he was simply holding the child while his wife gathered her belongings. During that time, Bennett was reportedly neither aggressive nor hostile. After his wife finished, Bennett handed the child back to her, but officers did not leave and instead called for backup.

As additional officers arrived, Bennett was cornered in the kitchen of his home. Present in the kitchen were Sergeant John Hoshaw and officers Ryan Marko, James Presley, Mark Danner, and Nolan Walker. The standoff reportedly lasted over an hour with Bennett surrounded by five Rockford police officers.

About an hour into the confrontation, Sergeant Hoshaw pepper sprayed Bennett directly in the face from less than five feet away. After being sprayed, Bennett allegedly picked up a plastic bag. The incident ended when officers claimed Bennett picked up a knife from the kitchen sink, though only police officers inside the house witnessed this moment.

Officers James Presley, Mark Danner, Nolan Walker, and Ryan Marko all fired their weapons, killing Demetrius Bennett. Authorities never publicly disclosed the total number of shots fired, only that each officer discharged their weapon.

All officers involved in the shooting remained employed by the Rockford Police Department afterward.

This was the fifth case investigated and ruled justified by the Winnebago County Integrity Task Force and the sixth deadly force incident in Winnebago County during the 2010s.