The Shooting of Trayvion Bowman

On September 24, 2022, Trayvion Bowman, who had just turned 17 the week prior, was at home after being prescribed medication for a mental health diagnosis. Officer Jordan Austin was aware of this diagnosis from a prior incident at the residence months earlier.

Police were called by Tray’s mother’s boyfriend following an alleged domestic dispute. Tray briefly left the home but returned about 20 minutes later. Officers Jordan Austin and Jacob Ditzler responded, and Tray’s mother later said she believed he was experiencing a mental health crisis.

Austin and Ditzler went downstairs where Tray was with his grandmother. As they came down, Tray allegedly grabbed two knives from the kitchen. The officers were at the base of the stairs while Tray’s mother was near the top. Tray then moved past the officers and began walking up the stairs.

At that moment, Ditzler fired his taser and Austin fired his gun simultaneously, both striking Tray in the back. Courtney Tillman-Listhrop and Abel Castenada were also present upstairs.

This incident was the 30th case investigated and deemed justified by the Winnebago Boone County Integrity Task Force. It was also the 10th deadly force incident of the 2020s and the 19th since Tom McNamara became mayor.