The Killing of Mikey Guzman

In the early morning hours of August 23, 2020, Mikey Guzman was walking on the left side of Route 2 near Whittemore Street in South Beloit, Illinois. Shortly after 1 AM, a witness reported seeing him walking along the roadway.

Shortly after this time, Mikey Guzman was hit on the side of the road and killed by South Beloit police officer Kurth. Kurth later testified that he never saw Mikey until the moment he struck him with his vehicle. Kurth made no effort to alert or avoid Mikey. According to reports, dash camera footage captured the impact and showed that Kurth did not slow down, swerve, honk, or activate his lights or sirens before hitting him. The Guzman family later filed a wrongful death lawsuit against South Beloit.

This incident was the 21st case investigated and deemed justified by the Winnebago Boone County Integrity Task Force, the first deadly force incident of the 2020s, and the 10th since Tom McNamara took office.