Police Officer Chris Oberheim

Officer: Champaign Police Department, Police Officer Chris Oberheim

Date: 5/19/2021          Location: Champaign, Ill       FACTORS (1,2,8,9,13,14,15,18,19)

Perpetrator(s) Involved: Darion M. Lafayette

Criminal Activity History/Involved: Yes, Lafayette has prior felony convictions for unlawful possession of methamphetamine and aggravated domestic battery for which he was on probation./Yes, as a convicted felon, Lafayette unlawfully possessed a firearm

Mental Illness: Unknown.

Substance Abuse History/Involved: Yes, he had prior drug related arrests./None stated.

Race/Sex/Age: Black/Male/24

What prompted the initial contact with the killer? At around 3:24 a.m. on May 19, 2021, Champaign Police Officers Chris Oberheim and Jeffrey Creel responded to a 911 call of a domestic dispute. Upon arriving at the apartment complex, they observed a possible suspect, Darion Lafayette leave the building and go into his car where they confronted him, demanding to see his hands since his right one was not visible.

Actions taken by subject toward police: Lafayette ignored Officer Creel’s orders to show his hands. As Lafayette exited his car, his left side came into contact with Officer Creel who tried to gain control over Lafayette’s hands. Lafayette kept his right hand out of reach and ended up bringing that hand up over his head to reveal a gun which he used to shoot at Officer Oberheim who had joined in the melee trying to help gain control over him.

Reactions by the police: Officer Oberheim suffered a fatal shot to the head and went down, and Officer Creel was also knocked to the ground and shot multiple times in his chest by Lafayette. Saved by his vest, Officer Creel managed to get up and fatally shoot Lafayette as he stood over Officer Oberheim.

How murdered? Officer Oberheim was shot at point blank range while confronting a suspect of domestic violence.

What could have been done differently for the officer to still be alive? Given the fact Lafayette had a gun in his right hand when confronted by the officers, the only way it would have ended differently is if Officer Creel reasonably feared Lafayette possessed a gun in his hidden hand and immediately used deadly force. While justifiable in hindsight, in the current racialized anti-police atmosphere there is no way a white cop is going to be so quick to shoot a black man unless he is absolutely certain of the risk…at which point it is too late.

Would the officer have been justified to use deadly force before being murdered? Yes, Officer Creel reasonably feared Lafayette was hiding his right hand because it held a gun and he could have justifiably shot him for it.  

Outcome for the cop-killer: Lafayette was justifiably shot dead by Officer Oberheim’s partner.

Miscellaneous: From the time the officers spoke to Lafayette while he was in his car to when he exited it with a gun in his hand was 7.5 seconds. Bodycam video of the incident is available.