Pritzker Says He Doesn’t Know Details of Deadly Jan. 4 Shooting by Illinois State Police
Gomric cited more than 40 hours of video and audio in closing the case after reviewing the trooper’s use of force.
- St. Clair County State's Attorney James Gomric announced this week he will not file criminal charges against Illinois State Trooper Gary Blake Novack in the Jan. 4, 2026, fatal shooting of Rachel Tarrence in East St. Louis.
- Officers surrounded the stolen Chevrolet Equinox Tarrence was driving in a liquor store drive-thru lane; Novack fired three shots, striking the unarmed mother of three twice after she allegedly disregarded commands and moved the vehicle toward him.
- A review of over 40 hours of audio and video evidence, including dashcam and bodycam footage, supported the decision. The Illinois State Police Division of Internal Investigation determined Novack's use of force was lawful.
- Wednesday, Governor JB Pritzker acknowledged the tragedy, stating he trusts the department's leadership. While describing Tarrence as a "victim," he noted he had not reviewed the footage himself.
- A Capitol News Illinois review found this marks the only time in over a decade State Police used lethal force against an unarmed woman, occurring three days before a similar Minneapolis incident involving Renee Nicole Good.
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Pritzker says he doesn’t know details of deadly Jan. 4 shooting by Illinois State Police
From Capitol News Illinois: JB Pritzker said he hasn’t seen video of a Jan. 4 police shooting that left an unarmed woman dead after a traffic stop in a vehicle that was reported stolen
Capitol Fa - Your Illinois News Radar » ISP trooper won’t be charged in fatal shootingCapitolFax.com
* Beth Hundsdorfer on July 16… On a Sunday night in early January, Rachel Tarrence stopped in the drive-thru lane of an East St. Louis liquor store to buy cigarettes for a friend who sat beside her. Her 4-year-old son was strapped in his car seat in the back. Seconds later, she was dying. Those few moments, caught [...]
St. Clair Prosecutor Declines Charges in Trooper Shooting
ST. CLAIR COUNTY - St. Clair County State’s Attorney James Gomric said this week he will not file criminal charges against an Illinois state trooper in the Jan. 4, 2026, fatal shooting of Rachel E. Tarrence in East St. Louis, after reviews by his office and the Illinois State Police Division of Internal Investigation.In a letter released after Gomric said he met with Tarrence’s family and their attorney, the state’s attorney said the decision fo…
Prosecutors decline to charge Illinois State Police trooper in fatal shooting of mother of 3 – Capitol News IL
Rachel Tarrence was shot while in her car in the drive-thru of an East St. Louis liquor store Jan. 4, to inform them of his decision. Trooper Gary Blake Novack fired three shots at Tarrence, who was not armed, striking her twice. She died several hours later at a St. Louis hospital.
No charges for Illinois state trooper in January shooting
An Illinois state trooper who shot and killed a Maryville woman earlier this year will not be charged, following investigations by the St. Clair County State’s Attorney’s Office and Illinois State Police’s Division of Internal Affairs.
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