Des Plaines police have released audio and video footage of the moments leading up to an officer fatally shooting a man last month who was walking toward him with an electric hedge trimmer.
Six officers were placed on temporary paid administrative leave by the Des Plaines Department in connection with the fatal shooting of Ayham Babidi, 21, on Sept. 9 about 2:30 p.m. at 2047 E. Touhy Ave., which is a standard procedure during active use-of-force investigations.
In a 911 call also released alongside the footage, Babidi’s mother is heard requesting a police response and an ambulance after Babidi had allegedly threatened to kill her during a mental health episode. A bystander’s cell phone video shows Babidi breaking a window at his own home with an unplugged wired electric hedge trimmer and walking around the front yard.
Police dash cam footage shows Babidi walking with the hedge trimmer and telling an officer he followed to drop his gun as Sgt. Matthew Muchow, stationed nearby, instructs Babidi to drop the device.
“Show me your hands,” Muchow, who has been with the department for 22 years, is heard saying as he exits his squad car.
“I’m not gonna put it down, you’re gonna put it down,” Babidi responds.
Babidi exits the frame of the dashcam video, and two gunshots are heard in succession, followed by a pause and then a third shot. Police said Muchow and other first responders tried to render aid to Babidi before he was taken to a nearby hospital where he died.
Muchow had activated his body camera before getting out of the squad car but didn’t turn it on when he got out, meaning the moments when he walked backward across Touhy Avenue and shot Babidi three times were captured from a distance on a neighbor’s security camera. The video, however, is largely obscured by a tree.
The Major Case Assistance Team — a multijurisdictional law enforcement group — is investigating the shooting and Muchow’s use of force. The Cook County state’s attorney’s office will review that investigation, Des Plaines police said.
Des Plaines police also said an independent investigator will be hired to review departmental policies and procedures related to the shooting.
“Any loss of life is a tragedy, and we recognize the profound grief this incident brings to those affected,” the department said in a statement. “Our thoughts are with the family as they process this event, and we remain committed to a transparent investigative process conducted in partnership with MCAT and the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office.”