Aggravated battery trial begins for former Waukegan police officer Dante Salinas, charged in 2020 shooting of Marcellis Stinnette
The trial of a former Waukegan police officer Dante Salinas for aggravated battery began on Monday.
Salinas faces one felony count of aggravated battery causing great bodily harm and two counts of official misconduct. Salinas is answering to these charges in a bench trial that began Monday. How long it is expected to last was not immediately known.
Salinas is also charged with three counts of second-degree murder and one count of involuntary manslaughter for the Oct. 20, 2020, shooting death of Marcellis Stinnette.
He also shot and injured Stinnette's girlfriend, Tafarra Williams, after they tried to speed away from a traffic stop.
His body camera was not turned on until after the shooting.
The Lake County state's attorney said Williams was simply a passenger and did not commit a crime. Neither Stinnette nor Williams had a weapon.
Salinas was fired from the Waukegan Police Department three days after shooting Stinnette, for multiple policy violations during the incident, including failing to activate his body-worn camera until after the shooting.
A status hearing for Salinas' murder trial is being held Tuesday morning.
CBS News Chicago has reached out to the Lake County State's Attorney's Office for more information.
Editor's note: This article previously reported that Salinas' murder trial has begun, but that is incorrect. The start date of Salinas' murder trial has not yet been announced.