Kane County (Illinois) State’s Attorney Jamie L. Mosser announced Tuesday that her office will not pursue criminal charges against St. Charles police officers involved in the fatal shooting of 41-year-old man who was wielding a running chainsaw when he was killed.

An investigation by the Illinois State Police determined that on December 1, 2024, a 911 caller reported seeing Escalera wielding a chainsaw entering River Glen of St. Charles, a senior living facility. St. Charles Police Department officers were dispatched, the state’s attorney office said in a statement.

Arriving on the scene, one of the officers made contact with Escalera inside the senior home’s cafeteria. The man was holding a chainsaw that was not running. The officer ordered Escalera to drop the tool, officials said.

Escalera ignored the order, entered the cafeteria, and fired up the chainsaw. The officer deployed his TASER, knocking down Escalera. But before he could be taken into custody, he got back up, grabbed the running chainsaw, and ran toward the officer, officials said.

That officer retreated into the lobby and was joined by a second St. Charles Police officer.

“Both officers quickly returned to the cafeteria and a third officer followed Escalera through a secondary doorway of the cafeteria and eventually back into the lobby, where Escalera held the chainsaw over his head and charged toward the officer. The officer fired two shots which both missed. Escalera physically collided with the officer, striking him with the chainsaw and dropping the chainsaw. The officer fired a third shot as Escalera fled toward a hallway, hitting him in the left forearm.

“Once reaching the hallway, Escalera stopped to the immediate right of an elderly resident in a wheelchair, turned toward the officers, and held his hands forward in a position which appeared to imitate holding a firearm. The officer fired a fourth shot striking Escalera in the chest. Escalera immediately collapsed to the floor and officers handcuffed him before immediately providing medical treatment to the gunshot wound. Paramedics soon arrived and took over life sustaining measures. Escalera was transported to Delnor Hospital where he was pronounced deceased,” the State’s Attorney Office said in a statement.

A toxicology report performed on Escalera revealed that he under the influence of amphetamines, methamphetamines, and olanzapine,” officials said.

“I first want to thank the St. Charles police officers for acting to de-escalate the situation before being forced to resort to the deadly use of force,” said State’s Attorney Mosser. “My thanks also to the Illinois State Police for their diligent and thorough investigation into this incident, and to the Kane County Coroner’s Office and the St. Charles Police Department for providing critical support and transparency throughout this process. Every case of an officer-involved shooting must be carefully and thoroughly investigated. This scrutiny maintains the public’s confidence in law enforcement and ensures the protection of the civil rights of those involved. After a comprehensive and thorough review of the investigation into this tragic incident, it is clear that the officers here acted in accordance with both department policy and Illinois law. The evidence demonstrates that his actions were appropriate and justified in the circumstances. Acknowledging the tragic loss of life and offering condolences to Mr. Escalera’s family, my office has therefore closed the investigation into this matter.”

“I am very proud of how our Officers responded to this incident,” said City of St. Charles, IL Police Department Acting Chief of Police Eric Majewski. “They were confronted with a fast-paced situation in which they attempted all means of de-escalation to protect the elderly residents and themselves that had been placed in immediate harm's way.”