On November 17, 2022, Austin Levitski and a woman were in a Walmart parking lot in Roscoe when a civilian, not a Walmart employee, flagged down Rockton Police Sergeant Ben Heintz, though it is unclear why Heintz was there. The civilian alleged that they saw Levitski’s passenger loading stolen items into the vehicle.
As Heintz approached, Austin allegedly drove off in the officer’s direction, prompting Heintz to fire three shots into the moving vehicle as it passed. Heintz and Winnebago County Sheriff’s deputies then initiated a high-speed pursuit that exceeded 100 mph.
The chase ended when Austin crashed into a garage. As officers approached, Austin was getting up and was tased before being taken into custody. He had been shot once in the arm.
This incident was the 33rd case investigated and deemed justified by the Winnebago Boone County Integrity Task Force.