Domestic violence suspect threw a knife at Decatur police, which resulted in an OIS
By: 0:00 - Body cam 1
0:26 - Body cam 2
0:52 - Body cam 3
1:17 - Body cam 4
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The Decatur Police Department on Thursday released bodycam video and the names of two officers involved in a shooting while they were responding to a domestic violence call last month.
On March 30th, officers said they fired their weapons during the domestic violence call in the 400 block of East Orchard Street. According to reports, the suspect had a knife and was threatening a juvenile and eventually stabbed a mom.
Police released the video showing what officers saw as they confronted Steven Hirstein, 43.
Fox Illinois received video with four angles of the officer-involved shooting and the aftermath.
"The two officers that fired the weapons are Officer Dawson Roberts, and he is a 1-year veteran with the Decatur Police Department, and then Officer Joseph Oberheim is an 8-year veteran at the Decatur Police Department,” said Chief Shane Brandle of the Decatur Police Department.
Three other officers were on scene but did not discharge their weapons. Those officers were Jack Kosinski, Jordan Jinks, and Joseph Sawyer.
According to the bodycam footage, before Hirstein barges through the door, officers could see a knife sheath near the bathroom door, along with the stab wounds on the , and both signaled to police the suspect was armed.
The video shows officer Oberheim telling Hirstein to come out with his hands up; instead, Hirstein bursts through the door and throws a knife with his right hand at the police, which can be seen from the angle of officer Kosinski’s body camera footage.
It is in the next few seconds that police see the second knife in Hirstein's left hand, making him still a threat. As he charged at officers with the knife, police fired their weapons, according to the video footage.
After officers took their shots, you can hear in the video, officer Roberts say, “'He threw a knife.'”
In the final moments, the footage shows officers going in to detain Hirstein after the shots were fired and removing the second knife from his possession.
Chief Brandel says at this time he does not see any wrong-doing from the officers involved, but he will reserve final judgment until the investigation is over.