The Killing of Eddie Patterson

Eddie Patterson, a father, brother, and Rockford community member, was shot and killed by Rockford Police officer Jaimie Cox on November 5, 2017, during a traffic stop near Dawn and East State Street. Around 1:00 AM, Cox ran the plates of a white Chevy pickup, found the registration expired, and initiated a stop. After initially being given the name “Carl Thurman,” Cox later identified the driver as Eddie Patterson, who had a revoked license. At 1:03 AM, Cox radioed in the stop.

What happened next remained unclear for nearly a year, with no body or dash camera footage released and limited public information. The scene showed Patterson’s truck crashed into a tree near the Unitarian Universalist Church, with Patterson dead and Cox also fatally injured nearby. Early public statements, including from Mayor Tom McNamara, focused heavily on Cox’s death, portraying him as a fallen officer and framing the incident as part of broader community violence, without mentioning Patterson in the same context.

When the Integrity Task Force released findings, it revealed Cox had radioed that Patterson was attempting to flee. Cox’s gun and gear were found inside the truck, and his DNA was on the gear shift, suggesting he reached into the vehicle, possibly trying to shift it or remove Patterson. It was also disclosed that Patterson had been shot twice—once in the back and once in the chest.

Many key details remain unanswered publicly, including when Cox drew his weapon, the sequence and angle of the shots, whether they were fired before or after Cox became entangled with the vehicle, and whether Patterson was alive at the time of the crash. Broader concerns were also raised about patterns in policing, including disparities in traffic stops and use of force.

A wrongful death lawsuit was filed on behalf of Patterson’s estate less than a month after the incident and remains ongoing. The shooting was ruled justified by the Winnebago Boone County Integrity Task Force on July 12, 2018.

This was the 13th case investigated and deemed justified by the task force, the 15th deadly force incident of the 2010s, the second since Tom McNamara took office, and the fourth involving a traffic stop.