October 05, 2024
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Suspect in Plano shooting ID’d as victim’s son: police

Nicholas Novak, 36, of Aurora, was killed in an officer-involved shooting following pursuit

By Eric Schelkopf
Plano Police Department, 111 Main St Plano Il.

Plano Police Department, 111 Main St. Plano Il. (Shaw Media)

Police have confirmed that the suspect in the shooting death of a 70-year-old Plano man on Sept. 27 was his son.

Nicholas Novak, 36, of Aurora, was shot and killed by law enforcement following a pursuit that ended near the intersection of Route 34 and Eola Road in Aurora. Video released Friday by the Kendall County Sheriff’s Office and the Plano Police Department shows Novak emerging from the Ford Bronco wielding a shotgun before a Plano officer and a Kendall County Sheriff deputy discharged their firearms, striking Novak.

The video can be seen at the Kendall County Sheriff Office’s YouTube channel.

“Please be advised that this release contains graphic content and may be difficult to watch,” the two departments said in a joint news release. “However, it is our commitment to provide transparency to our actions and to give a more comprehensive understanding of what occurred during this event.”

The video also shows the events leading up to the pursuit. Just before 6:45 p.m. Sept. 27, deputies with the Kendall County Sheriff’s Office assisted the Plano Police Department with a report of a possible home invasion in which shots were fired in the 3800 block of Pratt Court in Plano.

The victim has been identified by the Kendall County Coroner’s Office as Russell Novak, according to a joint news release from the Plano Police Department, Kendall County Sheriff’s Office and the Kendall County Coroner’s Office.

Russell Novak had multiple gunshot wounds. Nicholas Novak was Russell Novak’s son, Plano Police Deputy Chief Gene Morton said in an email on Friday.

The Illinois State Police continues to investigate the shooting. The video shows responding law enforcement personnel with the Plano Police Department located a car believed to be associated with the Plano shooting incident shortly after arriving at the house in the 3800 block of Pratt Court in Plano.

In the video, Plano officers attempted to stop the vehicle, but the driver – Nicholas Novak – refused to stop, according to the release. A pursuit began involving several law enforcement agencies.

The pursuit ended near the intersection of Route 34 and Eola Road in Aurora. Deputies and officers from several law enforcement agencies encountered Nicholas Novak, who had exited the car armed with a firearm, the release stated.

He allegedly pointed the firearm at a deputy, at which time the deputy and a Plano officer discharged their firearms to protect the people present in the area and themselves, according to the release.

Deputies and officers immediately rendered medical aid to the subject at the scene. Nicholas Novak was taken to Rush Copley Hospital in Aurora, where he was pronounced deceased, according to the release.