Abram Perez Obituary, Death; – Authorities have confirmed the identity of the individual who was fatally shot by law enforcement in DeKalb County following a car chase and a prolonged hostage situation last month.
The events unfolded around 11 p.m. on October 23, when the Illinois State Police (ISP) notified the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office regarding a vehicle associated with a suspected shooting incident in Rockford. Deputies located the vehicle at its registered address in DeKalb; however, the driver attempted to evade capture when a traffic stop was initiated.
In response, deputies deployed stop sticks, which successfully disabled the vehicle on Rich Road near Nelson Road. It was observed that one of the occupants, later identified as 42-year-old Abram Perez from Rockford, was armed with a handgun and had taken another individual hostage inside the vehicle.
The DeKalb County Special Operations Team, along with hostage negotiators, was subsequently summoned to the scene. Negotiations persisted for several hours, ultimately resulting in the safe release of the hostage.
Despite ongoing efforts to resolve the situation peacefully, Perez refused to comply with demands to surrender. Authorities reported that Perez suddenly aimed his weapon at the police and discharged multiple rounds. Officers responded by returning fire, which resulted in Perez being fatally wounded.
An independent investigation into the incident is currently being conducted by the ISP Division of Criminal Investigation Zone 1 West. In a public statement, the ISP reaffirmed its dedication to transparency and integrity, and they have released footage of the officer-involved shooting.
Fortunately, no law enforcement personnel sustained injuries during the incident. The video provided by the police contains graphic content, and viewer discretion is advised.
