A retired Oak Park Police Department patrol commander has disclosed that the officer who fatally shot Christian Wallace on May 31 fired nine rounds during the encounter, including shots directed toward Austin Boulevard and shots that struck Wallace in the back.

John Curtin, who served 29 years with OPD before retiring and now lives in Alsip, published the claims in a letter to the editor in the Wednesday Journal on Tuesday, July 28. It is the first on-the-record statement by a named former OPD official addressing the shooting with specific tactical details.

What Curtin disclosed

Curtin wrote that the officer fired nine rounds total. Village officials had previously stated Wallace was struck four times, with wounds to his right flank, right forearm, right wrist, and head, according to a July 2 Wednesday Journal report. The discrepancy between nine rounds fired and four documented wounds has not been addressed by OPD or the Illinois State Police Public Integrity Task Force, which is conducting an independent investigation.

Curtin addressed three questions raised in a July 22 Wednesday Journal viewpoint by Dan Haley: why the officer fired toward Austin Boulevard, why shots struck Wallace in the back, and why nine rounds were fired.

On the direction of fire, Curtin argued Wallace posed a greater threat to motorists and pedestrians on Austin Boulevard because he was armed with a handgun. On shots to the back, Curtin wrote: "My response is 'So what?' This isn't a Western movie; this isn't pistols at 10 paces. This is a real-life deadly threat."

On the round count, Curtin drew on personal experience, writing that he was involved in a 2002 shooting in which he guessed he had fired four rounds but later learned it was eight. He said he believes the officer fired until Wallace stopped, and that required nine rounds.

Curtin also disclosed that the 24-hour gas stations at Austin Boulevard and Harrison Street are designated "Directed Patrol" areas by OPD, suggesting the officer's attention may have been drawn by Wallace's vehicle turning suddenly into the station.

The shooting

Wallace, 38, a Chicago resident, was fatally shot at approximately 9:10 p.m. on Sunday, May 31, at the Shell gas station at Austin Boulevard and Harrison Street. He was pronounced dead at 9:59 p.m. at Loyola Hospital in Maywood.

The officer had stopped Wallace for failing to signal a lane change while driving south on Austin Boulevard and for not signaling a right turn into the gas station within 100 feet. A roughly 70-second struggle followed after the officer discovered Wallace was carrying a concealed firearm during a pat-down. A firearm with a defaced serial number was recovered at the scene.

The shooting was OPD's first fatal use of force since 1988.

Policy context

Curtin's letter was published the same day as a Village Board meeting at which the pretextual stop policy was on the agenda. On Tuesday, July 21, the board had voted unanimously to direct village staff, the Citizens Police Oversight Committee, Pivot Consulting Group, and OPD to draft the policy within 60 days. Trustee Derek Eder moved the motion; Trustee Chibuike Enyia seconded it.

The vote followed data showing Oak Park police conducted 569 field contact stops in 2025, with approximately 74% of those stopped being Black residents who make up about 18% of the village's population. Only 101 of those stops led to arrests, according to a police department report cited by Eder.

At the July 21 meeting, Oak Park resident Tristan Rogers spoke in favor of the restriction during public comment. "Pretextual stops disproportionately target Black and Brown drivers, and too often turn violent, even deadly," Rogers said, according to the Wednesday Journal's July 23 report.

What comes next

The Illinois State Police investigation remains open. When complete, the case will be submitted to the Cook County State's Attorney's Office, which will decide whether to file charges against the officer. The officer remains unnamed and was on medical leave as of June 30.

The pretextual stop policy draft is due within 60 days of the July 21 vote.