04/09/2026
On May 8, 2026, at approximately 6:45 p.m., Peoria Police Department (PPD) officers
responded to a report of a domestic dispute near the intersection of Hamilton and Madison
streets in downtown Peoria. Family members of Ashley Stenson had called 911 to report
that Stenson’s ex-boyfriend, Cortez White, was going to kill her. A PPD officer located
Stenson and White on the sidewalk outside of the Four Points by Sheraton Hotel, in
downtown Peoria. As the officer stepped out of his car, White pulled out a handgun and
shot Stenson in front of the officer killing her. He then pointed the gun at the officer. The
officer then fired multiple shots at White striking him. White was transported to a local
hospital where he was pronounced deceased.
The Illinois State Police (“ISP”) was notified and took over the investigation, as is
required in officer-involved shootings. The role of the State’s Attorney is to determine
whether the conduct of the officer who discharged a weapon was justified under Illinois
law.
II. Summary of Facts
On May 8, 2026, Ashley Stenson was living in Atlanta, Georgia. She had flown into
Peoria that day for an upcoming wedding that weekend. Upon her arrival at the airport,
a cousin was waiting to pick her up in the parking lot. Stenson got into the passenger
seat of her cousin’s car. At that point her ex-boyfriend, Cortez White, unexpectantly
showed up at the passenger door and opened it. According to the cousin, Stenson looked
confused as to why White was there as he had no reason to be in Peoria because he
lived in St. Louis, Missouri at the time. However, Stenson had posted on Facebook about
her flight into Peoria and the cousin believed that was how White knew where she would
be. White then told Stenson she was coming with him. She left with him but told her
cousin to follow them. While riding in the pickup with White, Stenson began texting family
members that he was going to kill her and that he refused to let her out of the pickup.
Stenson’s family members then called 911 at approximately 6:45 to report that White
was going to kill her. They provided a description of Stenson and White to police along
with the pickup truck that he was driving. Stenson continued to text information to family
members of her location as he drove throughout the Peoria area and eventually texted
that they were at the Four Points by Sheraton Hotel in downtown Peoria. An officer
responded to that location and saw Stenson and White outside on the sidewalk in front of
the hotel. That officer was wearing a fully marked police uniform and driving a fully
marked PPD squad car.
As the officer stepped out of his squad car he asked them, “Are you Ashley? Are you
Cortez? Keep your hands up.” White immediately pulled out a gun and shot Stenson in
the head right in front of the officer. (This scene is depicted in the attached still image
taken from PPD squad car camera footage of the incident labelled Exhibit #1.) Her body
dropped to the ground and while she was on the ground White stood over her and
continued to shoot her. (This scene is depicted in the attached still image taken from
PPD squad car camera footage of the incident labelled Exhibit #2.) He then pointed the
gun at the officer. (This scene is depicted in the attached still image taken from PPD
body camera footage of the incident labelled Exhibit #3 and PPD squad car camera
footage of the incident labelled Exhibit #4.)
During this time the officer had drawn his handgun and fired several shots at White.
White tried to flee from the officer. The officer pursued White and continued to shoot at
him. White eventually fell to the ground after being struck by gunfire where he was then
taken into custody.
After the incident, crime scene officers arrived to process the scene. There were
several cars parked along the street and several people outside who witnessed portions
of the incident. Numerous spent shell casings were located on the sidewalk and street
and around several vehicles. Multiple vehicles as well as the exterior wall of the hotel
had been struck by gunfire. The handgun used by White, a Tarus 9mm semi-automatic,
was located on the sidewalk. It had one magazine inside the gun containing three rounds.
White’s pickup truck was parked nearby on the street. Inside the truck, police found
another handgun, a G***k 9 mm semi-automatic, that had been previously reported
stolen. That gun was loaded with one round in the chamber and 14 rounds in the
magazine.
Officers located several witnesses who were in the area at the time. One witness who
was staying at the Four Points by Sheraton Hotel was looking out the window of her hotel
room on the third floor when she heard a gunshot. She then observed a police officer
chasing a man around the officer’s vehicle engaged in a "shootout". She observed the
man and the police officer firing their guns at one another. Another witness observed
White standing over Stenson lying on the ground firing multiple shots at her. Other
witnesses heard the male and female arguing prior to the shooting.
An autopsy was later performed on both Stenson and White. White had shot Stenson
five times, including two shots to her head and one shot to her chest. White was shot
multiple times by the officer. The entire encounter was recorded on the officer’s body
camera as well as the camera mounted on the front of his PPD squad car. These
recordings captured both the audio and video of the incident. Because this incident
occurred during daylight, the videos are very clear.
III. Legal Analysis
Under Illinois law, a peace officer is justified in using force likely to cause death or
great bodily harm when he “reasonably believes, based on the totality of the
circumstances, that such force is necessary to prevent death or great bodily harm to
himself or another.” 720 ILCS 5/7-5(a). Deadly force is to be used “only when reasonably
necessary in defense of human life,” under the particular circumstances of each situation.
720 ILCS 5/7-5(d). When an officer uses force, that decision “shall be evaluated from the
perspective of a reasonable officer in the same situation, based on the totality of the
circumstances known to or perceived by the officer at the time of the decision, rather than
with the benefit of hindsight, and that the totality of the circumstances shall account for
occasions when officers may be forced to make quick judgments about using force.” 720
ILCS 5/7-5(f).
From the evidence presented, it is abundantly clear the Peoria Police Department
Officer was legally justified in the use of deadly force against Cortez White on May 8,
2026. The officer was reasonable in his belief, based on the totality of the circumstances,
that deadly force was necessary to prevent death or great bodily harm to himself or others.
The officer witnessed an execution-style murder right in front of him and the suspect then
pointed the gun directly at the officer. Either of these two events would justify the use of
deadly force, especially considering these events occurred within a split second of the
officer stepping out of his vehicle giving him no time to react. The only choice that officer
had was to engage the suspect in a shootout for his own safety.
Additionally, because this was in broad daylight there were several people in the area
at that time. The officer had a clear duty to try and apprehend White so that he did not
harm anyone else. At that point, from a reasonable officer’s perspective, White was a
threat to everyone in the vicinity. Not only was White armed with a gun, but there was
also a second fully loaded handgun nearby in his pickup that he could have easily
retrieved had the officer not continued to pursue him.
Therefore, upon review of the facts, it is determined that the course of conduct
engaged in by the officer that resulted in the death of Cortez White was justified,
reasonable and necessary to protect the health and safety of the citizens of Illinois,
himself and others from death or great bodily harm.
