Peoria’s relatively new top cop says the Monday night’s fatal shooting, and two other shootings also reported in the night, weren’t the only ones that Peoria Police dealt with.
“[There were] ten separate ShotSpotter incidents, with 38 total rounds,” said Chief Eric Echevarria.
At a news conference Tuesday, Echevarria said he couldn’t sleep thinking about all that Peoria had been going through, calling the recent reports of violence and shootings “unacceptable.”
Peoria Mayor Rita Ali says now, more than ever, if you see something, say something.
“If you know something, and don’t report it anonymously, then you, too, are part of the problem,” said Ali.
Echevarria declined to comment on the shootings more than what was reported already, saying they’re ongoing investigations. He did confirm, however, that arrests have been made related to the Monday night homicide.
Echevarria says he’s worked hard to make sure the public knows that police can be trusted.
“We have been having conversations with all parts of the community,” said Echevarria. “And, specifically, we have been really engaging as a chief [sic] with our communities of color, right? And, when talk about who’s not trusting the police, right, you’re probably referring to communities of color, and that’s true.”
Echevarria, Ali, and other community leaders joined Echevarria in a news conference Tuesday afternoon outside Peoria Police headquarters.
