Lawsuit claims Bolingbrook police officers caused man’s death with excessive force

The family of a Bolingbrook man who was suffering from a medical emergency in 2023 has claimed in a lawsuit that two officers caused his death by using excessive and deadly force without lawful justification.

The lawsuit was filed Wednesday at the Will County Courthouse by attorneys for John Taylor Sr., the father of John Taylor Jr., 41. The son died Sept. 30, 2023, following an incident at his home in the 300 block of Lakeview Circle in Bolingbrook.

The lawsuit alleged Taylor, who was diagnosed with diabetes, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, was undergoing a medical emergency before responding officers arrived on scene. The lawsuit alleged the officers used excessive force on him when he declined to go to the hospital.

The lawsuit claimed officers used a stun gun on Taylor multiple times and continued putting their weight on him even after Taylor said, “I can’t breathe.”

The defendants in the case include the village of Bolingbrook, former Bolingbrook Police Officer Jacob Bodnar and current Bolingbrook Police Officer Christopher Crofford.

Bolingbrook Police Capt. Brennan Woods declined to comment on the allegations in the lawsuit. Woods said Bodnar resigned Nov. 21, 2023, but declined to comment further “due to the pending litigation.”

Attorneys with Chicago law firm Romanucci & Blandin are representing the family in the lawsuit case. A spokeswoman for the firm did not immediately respond to messages Friday.

The law firm has also been representing Brenda Nash-Milton in a wrongful death lawsuit filed against Will County Sheriff’s Lt. John Allen over the fatal 2022 shooting of her brother Gregory Walker.

The Illinois State Police conducted the officer-involved death investigation of the incident.

State police officials were notified on April 9, 2024, that Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow’s Office declined to file charges, according to their website for officer-involved investigations.

Glasgow’s office did not respond to a message Friday on Taylor’s case.

Asked about the cause and manner of Taylor’s death, Will County Coroner Laurie Summers told the Herald-News to send an email request to her office. The message received no response as of Friday afternoon.

The lawsuit claimed Taylor’s cause of death was from stress and physical exertion.

In the original statement on the incident, Bolingbrook police officials said when officers and paramedics arrived, Taylor began to fight physically with them and a Taser was deployed. Taylor eventually was subdued and taken to a hospital, where he later died, police said.

The lawsuit claimed Taylor’s mother, Brenda Taylor-Turner, called 911 to request an ambulance because her son was “acting agitated due to a diabetic episode.”

The lawsuit claimed Taylor-Turner did not see her son verbally or physically threaten any officer or paramedic, and he was not armed with a weapon or anything that “created a threat at any time.”

When Taylor told officers that he would not go to the hospital, officers ordered him to stand up and they grabbed him by the arms to “forcibly remove him without attempting any de-escalation tactics or talking to him,” the lawsuit claimed.

Taylor pushed away from the officers “in a move of passive resistance” and Bodnar deployed a Taser on him, the lawsuit alleged. Crofford touched the Taser wire attached to Taylor and “fell into the bushes near the door” of Taylor’s residence, the lawsuit alleged.

During the altercation, Taylor fell toward the stairs, striking his head, and Crofford held Taylor in an arm bar while Bodnar handcuffed one of his hands, the lawsuit alleged.

Taylor was forced into a position that restricted his breathing and a Taser was used on him several more times, the lawsuit alleged.

The lawsuit alleged Crofford and Bodnar restrained Taylor using “unreasonable and dangerous physical force without justification.” The lawsuit claimed the officers’ “willful and wanton acts” led to Taylor’s death.