On April 23rd, 2007, around 5:30 p.m. a woman was stabbed on S. 4th Street and had to be taken to the Swedish American Hospital.
Rockford police they seen a “suspicious auto” in the area. Then RPD detective Kevin Ogden approached the vechicle causing the driver, Lewis Henderson, to take off. It was alleged that Lewis’s vehicle struck but did not injure Ogden as he drove off.
A chase ensued that ended when Lewis ran a red light causing a three car accident. Lewis left his car as off duty Rockford Police Officer Oda Poole arrived on the scene. Poole was on his way to work when he came across the accident and decided to assist. Witnesses pointed out Lewis a few houses down who refused Poole’s demands to return to the scene.
Lewis allegedly put his hands inside his shirt and had a hammer in hand. By now, Lewis had walked all the way to the Walgreens parking lot on E State Street and 9th Street.
Poole said he repeatedly told him to drop his weapon but when Lewis pointed the hammer at him, Poole shot several times ultimately killing
Lewis.
This was the third person Oda Poole shot as a Rockford police officer and his first time killing a Rockford community member.
It was Poole’s second shooting of 2007.
Poole had at least two prior shooting incidents as a Washington D.C. police officer.
This was the third Rockford police shooting in 2007 and 12th deadly force incident in the 2000’s.