Faustin and his wife were both African refugees who came to the Rockford area in recent years.
His wife would leave their shared home to go to a nearby Casey’s gas station to call the police. Steve Kempin, a Winnebago County sheriff's deputy, responded to the gas station where the wife told the deputy of domestic abuse that had taken place immediately prior to coming to Casey’s.
The sheriff deputies then went to the shared home but were not able to find Faustin.
Faustin’s wife, Rose Ndorum, told police that he did not have any guns, she only wanted him to get his things and leave. Kempin called Faustin before leaving the scene asking him to return to the scene.
Officers returned to the residence after another 911 call stating Faustin was there with his two-year-old son.
Deputy Coomer responded and saw Faustin outside the home. The sheriff repeatedly grabbed and pulled on Faustin’s arms in an attempt to have him arrested. Faustin pulled his arms away and eventually went into the house.
The sheriff deputy called for backup that was led by sergeant Joseph Broullard.
Deputies circled around the wife of Faustin and obtained keys from her. Sheriff deputies entered the home some armed with less lethal force, some armed with guns. They passed up a door directly across the door they entered from.
Broullard, armed with a gun, is the officer that opened the door to the basement. There, Faustin can be seen at the bottom of the stairs with some type of metal bar in his hand.
Broullard yelled to drop it, but Faustin continued walking up the stairs. Broullard shot Faustin nine times as he attempted to walk up the stairs.
Faustin fell into Broullard at the top of the stairs causing both of them to fall to the ground. Once on the ground, Deputy Steve Kempin tased Faustin and deputy Gabriel Eiten fired his gun through the screen door into Faustin.
Faustin Guetigo was a husband, father, and community member of Rockford.
This was the twenty-third case investigated and justified by the Winnebago Boone County Integrity Task Force.
This was the fifth case investigated and justified under the claim “suicide by cop”.
It was the third deadly force incident in the 2020’s and 12th since Tom McNamara took mayoral office.