Eddie Patterson was a father, brother, and Rockford community member. On November 5th, 2017, he was shot twice, once in the back, by Rockford Police officer Jaimie Cox.
Cox was assigned to traffic control. He was running plates near the intersection of Dawn and E State when a white Chevy pick up was driving down the street. At 1:00 am Cox ran the plates of the pick up. He learned the registration sticker was expired. He initiated a stop to which the driver pulled over. At 1:03 am Cox radioed back informing rpd of the stop and security. Cox approached the white truck and was given the name Carl Thurman.
Cox found no record of a Carl Thurman in his search so he returned to the pick up. This time he returned to his squad car with the name Eddie L. Patterson written on his notepad. He runs it to learn Eddie Patterson had a revoked license.
This is where the grey area happens. The unknown. For nearly a year the community’s questions went unanswered. There was no body camera footage or dash camera footage of the incident. The only video recorded was tied up in the Integrity Task Force. All that was known was the scene where the incident occurred.
There was Eddie Patterson, the deceased driver of the white ford truck that crashed into a tree nearby the United Universalist Church.
A dying Jaimie Cox laid nearby.
First, we start with the statements from the mayor and the police department about the shooting.
From the city of Rockford Facebook page:
“Mayor Tom McNamara issued a statement this afternoon on the death of Rockford Police Department Officer Jaimie Cox: As you know, early Sunday morning was one of the darkest days in our community's recent history. We lost a member of our police family as Officer Jaimie Cox was killed during a traffic stop. Officer Cox was a loving and caring husband and son. My heart is heavy for the pain now being felt by his family, friends and fellow officers.
Officer Cox attended Hononegah High School, and went on to serve our country in the military. He continued a life of service above self, serving as a member of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources Law Enforcement Division before joining our police department less than a year ago.
To honor Jaimie's service we have positioned our flags at half-staff all week. We have also ordered that all lights on City Hall and the Morgan Street Bridge to be blue-lighted this week to show our appreciation for his service.
I am saddened by Officer Cox's death, but I am also angry.
Angry that we continue to struggle with violence in our community. Angry that our residents don't feel safe in their neighborhoods. And, I am most angered by those who think they can terrorize our community by harming our most dedicated and bravest young people. This must stop.”
The words that we choose to use matter. Based on these comments made by Tom McNamara are you even aware that another person was killed? This statement did not call for patience as the investigation rolled out. It did not ask folks to reserve judgment until the investigation was concluded.
This was not a community member being killed. It was a “member of our police family”
Tom McNamara was angry.
Immediately the sanctification of Jaimie Cox began. The braver and more sacrificial Jaimie Cox was the more Eddie Patterson was deduced to being “those who think they can terrorize our community by harming our most dedicated and bravest young people.”
How does this read? Like this was a traffic stop initiated by Jaimie Cox who fired two shots into the moving vehicle, killing the driver, and met death after getting dragged by the truck?
Or does it give the impression of a violent individual who purposely hunted down a police officer?
This rhetoric painted by McNamara -in little more than 24 hours - would be the foundation this city’s response was built on. Jaimie Cox was on the path to sainthood. Eddie Patterson, the city wants you to believe, was an unnamed terrorizer whose actions against the “police family” led to the death of both individuals.
On July 12th, 2018, this case was ruled justified.
Our focus in this is determining what is right. Not what is legal. When analyzing only what is legal, our society fails to progress.
In the task force findings it was learned that Jaimie Cox made a call over the radio alleging Eddie Patterson was trying to “run off.” It’s revealed that Jaimie Cox’s gun along with other material from his uniform was in the Chevy pick up. Jaimie’s DNA was also found on the gear shift, indicating that Jaimie at one point reached into the car in an attempt to shift it.
For the first time the state reveals that Eddie Patterson was shot twice, once in the back and once in the chest.
So, what actually happened?
How did Eddie Patterson get shot twice? When did Jaimie Cox take his gun out? As he approached the vehicle or after he became attached to it? At what angle did Jaimie Cox shoot? At what point did he shoot? Was it back to back shots or one then another? Which was first? When did he try to reach into the car? Was he reaching in the car trying to remove Eddie Patterson to arrest him? At what point did Eddie Patterson die? Was he dead before he hit the tree? Was the fact that black drivers are 3x more likely to get pulled over by Rockford police taken into consideration when justifying this shooting? (We feel we can answer pretty confidently No to that question)
Over five years later all these questions remain unanswered to the public. How can something be justified when it’s still unclear what happened?
We can only analyze what is publicly available. We can not be short minded and only view what happened between 1:03 and 1:26 am. The macro look at Rockford shows a culture of behavior inside the Rockford police department that targets black drivers. It shows a culture of arrest by any means necessary. It shows the task force that investigated this case has justified every case it has ever handled in it’s decade plus history.
There was no active imminent threat to the Rockford community or to the “police family” at 12:59 a.m. A routine traffic stop is what has been deemed by many members of the “police family” and local media. What if that routine specifically targets a segment of our community?
Less than a month after the shooting a wrongful death suit was filed on behalf of the estate of Eddie Patterson.
Five years later that case is still active
This was the thirteenth case investigated and justified by the Winnebago Boone County Integrity Task Force.
It was the second deadly force incident with Tom McNamara in mayoral office and the 15th deadly force incident in the 2010’s.
It was the fourth case involving an individual following a traffic stop that was investigated and justified by the Winnebago Boone County Integrity Task Force.