http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2016/07/11/illinois-police-chief-asks-calm-after-latest-shooting/86937032/ John Bacon, USA TODAY 1:01 p.m. EDT July 11, 2016
Officers in Decatur were responding to a call about a man with a gun, when the incident happened. USA TODAY NETWORK
An Illinois police officer shot an African-American man in the chest Monday while responding to a call that a man had a handgun, authorities in Decatur said.
Interim Decatur Police Chief James Getz said the man, who was armed with a gun and knife, was in serious condition with a gunshot wound to the chest.
"We ask that everyone remain peaceful and reserve judgment until all the facts are known," Getz said. He said Illinois State Police would handle the investigation, "which is standard protocol ... in officer-involved, deadly force incidents."
The shooting took place hours after a wave of weekend Black Lives Matter protests rolled across the nation in response to last week's deadly police shootings of black men in Louisiana and Minnesota. Hundreds of people were arrested in the protests.
Getz said two white police officers responding to the call encountered a man matching the description. "During the engagement" one of the officers fired his weapon, and medical personnel were immediately dispatched to the scene. Police provided no further details.
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