Body camera shows DeKalb dealership police shooting after knife attack

DeKALB – DeKalb Police Chief David Byrd and officer Brian Bollow, who authorities on Tuesday said shot Charles M. Tripicchio to stop him from attacking car dealership employees with two knives on Oct. 23, will not face criminal charges.

DeKalb County State’s Attorney Rick Amato ruled that both officers were justified in their use of force decisions after they arrived at Brian Bemis Toyota of DeKalb, 1890 Sycamore Road, about 12:30 p.m. Oct. 23. Minutes earlier, multiple employees had called 911 reporting an upset customer who began attacking people with two pocket knives with 3.5-inch blades. Authorities haven’t yet offered a motive as to what prompted the attack.

Amato’s report, sent to Illinois State Police on Tuesday, states Byrd and Bollow asked Tripicchio, 32, to drop the knives 14 times, and he refused, at one point throwing a knife at Bollow. One dealership employee suffered a stab wound to the hand by the time police arrived. Other employees were hiding in the back, behind the showroom, according to Amato’s findings.

“No other reasonable officer in the same situation would have made a different decision in regard to the safety of the others on the scene, the safety of fellow officers or their own safety,” Amato wrote in his findings. “The fact that both officers fired their weapons virtually at the same instance in reaction to Tripicchio’s conduct further underscores that they both felt it necessary to use deadly force under the totality of the circumstances that they experienced in defense of others present, themselves and each other.”

Both Byrd and Bollow, who were on administrative duty for a month pending the investigation, which is normal procedure, were returned to full duty Tuesday, according to the DeKalb Police Department.

Deputy Police Chief Jason Leverton said the department didn’t have additional comment to offer on Amato’s rulings, other than “We concur with their findings.”

Shortly before police arrived, Tripicchio told an employee who tried to sell him a car that “he was thinking about brutally murdering someone,” according to court records.

More details became known Tuesday about the midday attack after state police released a body camera recording from Bollow’s perspective on the state agency’s YouTube page. The video is 3 minutes and 10 seconds long, and shows the “very quick pace,” as Amato wrote, of the time when police arrive and when Tripicchio is shot.

No other reasonable officer in the same situation would have made a different decision in regard to the safety of the others on the scene, the safety of fellow officers or their own safety.”

—  Rick Amato, state's attorney

DeKalb Mayor Cohen Barnes said he also reviewed the state’s attorney’s report and watched the body camera recording. He said he was not surprised by Amato’s findings, as he believes DeKalb police did what they were trained to do.

“I’m so proud of the way our law enforcement responded to an incident of someone that was attacking the employees of Brian Bemis and the response that they gave,” Barnes said. “Not only just in quickness but in arriving on the scene, taking control of the situation and when it was apparent that the threat was going to continue, that they took the appropriate actions necessary in order to make sure the people at Brian Bemis as well as our own officers were protected. I thought they handled it very well, incredibly professionally.”

[ ISP releases video from DeKalb hostage standoff fatal police shooting ]

Graphic bodycam recording shows shooting unfold

The graphic body camera recording begins as Bollow pulls into the Brian Bemis parking lot and exits the car. He walks up to the front door to enter the showroom as employees quickly exit. One is heard saying “He’s breaking stuff inside.”

A voice on the police dispatch radio is heard saying “he stabbed a manager in the hand.” Bollow opens the left side front door, while Byrd opens the right and they enter the showroom.

Immediately Bollow yells, “Charles, drop it.” Throughout the confrontation, Bollow is heard repeatedly yelling at Tripicchio to drop the knives. Byrd is heard yelling, “Hey hey hey,” and then “Put that down,” simultaneously.

Tripicchio is seen across the showroom, using a knife to break a glass window. He sports a ponytail and is clad in all black. Bollow and Byrd move closer to Tripicchio near the back of the showroom, instructing him to drop the knives multiple times. About 20 seconds after police enter, Tripicchio appears to turn back toward them.

Bollow again says, “Charles, drop the knife.” Seconds later, Tripicchio lifts his right arm holding a knife and walks toward the officers. Tripicchio says, “Hey look,” and then throws one of the knives at Bollow. Bollow fires once. A window behind Tripicchio shatters. Byrd, who had his weapon pointed downward, brings it up to point at Tripicchio and appears to fire four times, striking Tripicchio in the abdomen.

Tripicchio appears to hunch over and then falls to the floor, in apparent visible and vocal pain. Bollow and Byrd immediately go to him. Bollow says, “Put your hands behind your back,” multiple times. Tripicchio complies and Bollow handcuffs him as Byrd holds Tripicchio’s right arm in place. Bollow speaks into his police radio, “Male in custody. Get some medic. Bring medical here.”

A female police officer appears and along with Bollow administers first aid to Tripicchio. Byrd asks where the stabbing victim is and walks out of frame. About 2 minutes and 20 seconds into the video, she asks Tripicchio if he is armed with other weapons. He replies with a muffled, “No.” Bollow is heard saying a second knife fell to the ground near Tripicchio. The female officer says she kicked it away.

Bollow and the female officer continue to provide first aid to Tripicchio and identify at least three bullet wounds by the time the video ends.

Before police arrived, Brian Bemis employees made three 911 calls, Amato said. One at 12:25 p.m. to report an upset customer who refused to leave, had shoved a manager and was attacking people with a knife. A second time at 12:27 p.m. that described Tripicchio’s clothing, and reported that a sales associate was “trying to calm him down” and other employees were hiding in the back of the business. A third call at 12:29 p.m. identified the customer as Tripicchio, reported the stabbing and said Tripicchio had broken a window.

Police went to suspect’s home night before dealership stabbing

Amato said that police were briefed about the unfolding events on their way to the dealership, and were aware of Tripicchio because of previous interactions with DeKalb police.

Amato said Bollow knew of Tripicchio because police had gone to his DeKalb home the night before because of a large bonfire on Tripicchio’s property. It was then that police learned Tripicchio owned a gun, according to Amato’s findings. Bollow also knew Tripicchio recently had been arrested for domestic violence, Amato wrote.

JohnPaul Ivec, a defense lawyer for Tripicchio, told a DeKalb County judge earlier this month that his client, who appeared via Zoom from a hospital bed, had been shot four times and would suffer lifelong health impacts as a result.

Tripicchio is charged with armed violence, a Class X felony; attempted armed robbery; aggravated battery; criminal damage to property; and three misdemeanor counts of aggravated assault. If convicted of armed violence, he could face up to 30 years in prison.

Ivec previously told Circuit Court Judge Marcy Buick that his client plans to plead not guilty. Tripicchio had another court hearing Tuesday morning and is expected to be arraigned Jan. 15, court records show.

“Both officers acted quickly, respectfully and worked diligently in regard to human safety and dignity,” Amato wrote in his findings.

DeKalb mayor says chief involvement shows strong leadership

Barnes said Byrd’s actions during the shooting show him to be an apt leader for the DeKalb Police Department.

“I think when you see the leader of our department approach a scene like that, it reaffirms our leadership that we have at the DeKalb Police Department,” Barnes said. “Because of him, that’s one of the reasons why we have such a great department, as well as an incredibly empathetic and professional police force protecting the residents of DeKalb.”

It was the second police shooting on Oct. 23, following one where a DeKalb police officer fatally shot a Rockford man that morning after a tense, hourslong hostage standoff. The DeKalb officer was part of a countywide special task force that responded to the standoff in neighboring DeKalb Township. Amato also cleared that officer of any wrongdoing following an ISP investigation.

Bollow also was involved in a 2021 fatal police shooting in DeKalb.

Amato ruled at the time that Bollow’s deadly use of force was justified after a man threatened police with a 3-foot sword. In that shooting, police had responded to a domestic incident at a Tilton Park Drive home, records show. Bollow fatally shot 33-year-old Kristopher Kramer of DeKalb on Oct. 25, 2021, during a standoff when Kramer had threatened to harm a woman, himself and police.

Tripicchio was already facing charges in connection with an Oct. 10 domestic violence incident, and in that case, was not supposed to be in DeKalb County at the time of the dealership attack under a judge’s orders, court records show.

This story was updated at 6:40 p.m. Additional updates could occur.