DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) - An investigation into the June shooting death of an Illinois man by an eastern Iowa officer during civil unrest in Davenport has found that the shooting death was justified, according to the local Iowa prosecutor.
Scott County Attorney Mike Walton announced the finding Thursday in the June 1 shooting death of Marquis Tousant, 23, of Rock Island, Illinois, the Quad-City Times reported. The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation found that Tousant was among those who opened fire on an unmarked Davenport police pickup truck that was patrolling the area following an earlier, unrelated shooting that killed a 22-year-old woman, Walton said.
A forensic investigation determined bullets that hit the truck and wounded its driver, Sgt. Scott Lansing, came from a gun found on Tousant. The investigation also found that Tousant was killed by a bullet from the gun of Davenport Police Lt. Greg Behning, who returned fire when the truck came under attack, Walton said.
“It was reasonable for Behning to return fire to limit further injury or death to others and himself,” Walton’s report said.
The shooting occurred during hours of chaos in Davenport following protests over police killings of Black people prompted by the May 25 killing of George Floyd at the hands of four Minneapolis police officers.
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