The Ogle County ERT team has ruled the Lost Nation shooting incident involving a barricaded Dixon man in June justified

By Jeff Helfrich, Editor-in-Chief

OREGON – The Ogle County Emergency Response Team's use of deadly force in a June 12 incident at a Lost Nation home in which a barricaded Dixon man and three officers were shot was found justified, a news release said from Ogle County Prosecutor Mike on Sept. 27, Rock said.

Jonathon Gounaris, 32, of rural Dixon, is currently in custody over the incident and his next court date is scheduled for October 17. He faces charges of four counts of attempted first-degree murder, three counts of aggravated discharge of a firearm, three counts of aggravated assault and two counts of possession of a firearm without a Firearm Owner's Identification (FOID) card.

The Ogle County ERT team was called to Gounaris' home in Lost Nation on June 12 after a report that someone was threatening suicide when police entered the home, Gounaris and Ogle County ERT members Tyler Carls (Rochelle Fire Department), Lt. Jason Ketter (Ogle County Sheriff's Office) and Sgt. Tad Dominski (Oregon Police Department) were shot. ERT members were transported to area hospitals and later released. Gounaris underwent surgery and survived his injuries.

The use of force by law enforcement was reviewed by Winnebago County District Attorney J. Hanley because the Ogle County District Attorney's Office took over the prosecution of Gounaris.

The Illinois State Police, Zone 2, Major Crimes Investigation Unit conducted a use of force investigation and on September 27, Hanley issued a memorandum concluding that the officers acted reasonably and lawfully.

Dominski, Ketter, Ogle County Sheriff's Office Sgt. Justin Diehl and Deputy Jon Shippert were ERT members who fired weapons during the incident. The investigation into the incident included interviewing witnesses and reviewing police radio transmissions, police vehicle cameras, body cameras, private surveillance videos, crime scene photos, police reports and forensic examination results.

The memorandum issued by Hanley sets out a timeline for the events of June 12. At 9 a.m., the Ogle County Sheriff's Office was dispatched to the west entrance of Lost Lake to speak with Gounaris' mother, who was concerned about her son's mental state and requested that officers go to the home where he was staying , should carry out a social check.

Gounaris' mother told law enforcement that her son had threatened suicide and harm to her and others who tried to talk to him, the memorandum said. She also said Gounaris was carrying two pistols and she believed he had barricaded himself in the house. The responding deputy learned that Gounaris' FOID card had been revoked because he had been deemed a clear and present danger. The incident was referred to the Ogle County ERT team.

After a “litter phone” was brought into the home, a total of 75 calls were made by law enforcement to that phone and Gounaris' cell phone with no response. The ERT team made the decision to enter the home at 11:50 a.m., one team from the front and one team from the back.

The front door was breached with a ram and police fired a lightning strike, after which multiple gunshots could be heard in a video reviewed. Shots were fired at police and they returned fire before seeking cover and assessing their injuries.

The ERT team members in the back entered the apartment after shots were fired, and their body cameras show Gounaris lying on the ground wearing a bulletproof vest and saying “thank you” to law enforcement while being handcuffed and secured. ERT members determined that Gounaris had been shot at that point and stayed with him until emergency medical services arrived. None of the ERT members who entered through the back of the house fired their weapons.

Two firearms were recovered from the apartment. A 9mm handgun with an empty magazine was recovered from the living room floor and was confirmed to be the gun Gounaris used to shoot officers, the memorandum said. A 9mm handgun was found in another room, but no shots are believed to have been fired.

The memorandum set out the conclusions reached after a comprehensive review of the incident.

“The officers fired their service pistols into the house only after Gounaris fired at it,” the memorandum states. “The bodycam video clearly shows this and the officers’ statements are corroborated by the video evidence. “Furthermore, the evidence establishes that Gounaris knew or should have known that officers were outside his home.”

The memorandum also mentions the fact that Gounaris was wearing a bulletproof vest and his statements to officers after the shooting, which contributed to the officers' shooting being viewed as justified.

“Based on the totality of the circumstances, the officers’ belief that the shooting of Gounaris was necessary to protect each of them and others from death or serious bodily harm was justified,” the memorandum said. “Certainly Gounaris posed an actual threat of death or serious bodily harm to nearby officers when he fired at and struck officers. An officer may respond to an actual or imminent threat of death or serious bodily harm to himself or others with equal force – in this case, by firing his weapon.”