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BWC: Ill. trooper fires shots at woman who rammed cruiser in reverse, began to drive forward

Videos show cruisers blocking the woman, suspected of driving a stolen vehicle, into a parking lot; the woman suddenly reversed, crashing into a cruiser before driving forward

By Katie Kull
St. Louis Post-Dispatch

EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. — Illinois State Police on Saturday released body camera footage of a woman being shot and killed by troopers earlier this month.

The woman, 40-year-old Rachel E. Tarrence, of Maryville, Illinois, was driving a white Chevrolet SUV that had been reported stolen.

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Just after 10 p.m. Jan. 4, the vehicle pulled into the side of a convenience store in the 4500 block of South State Street in East St. Louis, video footage showed. Four patrol vehicles pulled in behind, beside and in front of her.

Seconds later, the SUV backs into a squad car, the video shows. The vehicle then pulls forward, and troopers get out of their cars, guns drawn. They order Tarrence to “show hands,” but her car slowly rolls forward, the video shows.

One of the troopers opens fire.

Tarrence was taken to a hospital where she died, state patrol officials say. Her front seat passenger, a man, was unhurt, as was a child riding in the back seat.

The trooper who fired his weapon was taken off the street pending an investigation, officials said.

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