~~These Videos Take Time And Effort To Edit And Upload, This Channel Is Also Not Monetised. Please Consider Supporting Us Below.~~ ~Support Us Through Patreon~ https://www.patreon.com/PoliceBodycamVideos?utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator -Donate To A Law Enforcement Charity - (Children of Fallen Police Officers Foundation) https://www.policeofficersfoundation.org More Information About This Channel Can Be Found In The 'ABOUT' Section Of The Channel. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ On February 6, 2023, at 10:43 p.m., Rantoul Police Officers Haley Mennega and Rikki McComas were dispatched to a report of a stolen vehicle in the 200 block of W. Belle Avenue, Rantoul. The reporting person left the keys in the car and the car running parked in the roadway and went into the residence. When the reporting person returned someone was in the car driving away. The officers were speaking with the reporting person in the street when Azaan Lee Julia R. Rietz State’s Attorney approached and interacted with the officers and the reporting person. It was unclear at that time if Lee was involved with the theft of the car. Lee told the officers he was there to see a friend who lives in the area. At 11:04 p.m. the stolen car was located at Scott and Campbell and officers at the scene took the reporting person to that area. In the meantime, Lee walked away from the original location. Officer Jose Aceves was at Belle and Tanner and saw Lee walking in the area. Officer Aceves was aware of the stolen vehicle report and engaged with Lee. Officer Aceves was unaware that other officers had previously spoken to Lee at the scene. Lee was wearing a hoodie sweatshirt under a jacket and there was a rectangular heavy object in the pocket of the hoodie sweatshirt weighting it down under the jacket. Officer McComas, who had spoken to Lee at the original scene, arrived and asked Lee if he has any keys on him, as the keys to the stolen car were missing. Lee emptied his pants pockets, pulling out change, a lighter and a headphone case. Officer McComas asked Lee what was in his front sweatshirt pocket. Lee reached his right hand into the pocket, at which time Officer Aceves grabbed Lee’s right wrist and patted down the pocket, asking him “what do you have right here?” Officer Aceves reported later that he saw a black object with a circular hole, which appeared to be the bottom of a handgun magazine in the sweatshirt pocket. Lee pulled away from Officer Aceves with his hand in his pocket. Officer Aceves reached into the pocket and grabbed on to the object. Officer Aceves reported that it was at that time that he realized the object was was in fact a handgun. Officer Aceves and Lee then struggled over the gun. Officer Aceves reported that it appeared Lee was trying to pull the gun out of the pocket. Officer Aceves’s body camera fell off during the struggle. Officer McComas also attempted to get Lee in custody and all three ended up on the ground. Officer Aceves and Lee got back up and continued to struggle over the gun. Officer Aceves reported that both he and Lee had a hold of the gun from the inside and outside of the hoodie pocket. They struggled over the gun for approximately 20 seconds and at 11:18 p.m., the gun discharged. Lee ran from the scene, dropping the gun. Officer Aceves recovered, got up and fired his weapon three times in the direction of Lee’s flight. Lee was not struck by any of those shots. Officer Aceves reported that fired his weapon due to the seriousness of the offense and because he was concerned about Lee being a danger to the public and possibly possessing another weapon. Rantoul officers and Champaign County Sheriff’s deputies located Lee in a backyard at 208 E. Campbell, Rantoul, at 11:37 p.m. He was unresponsive with a gunshot wound to his inner left thigh. Officers applied a tourniquet and attempted medical assistance until EMS arrived and transported Lee to Carle Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Preliminary autopsy results from Dr. Shipping Bao indicate that cause of death was a single contact gunshot wound with muzzle imprint to the left anterior thigh, tracking downward from front to back perforating the left femoral artery. Dr. Bao found no other injuries to Lee. Azaan Lee is a convicted felon, having been convicted of Domestic Battery with a Prior Domestic Battery conviction in Champaign County cause 21 CF 192, and therefore cannot lawfully possess a firearm. **Check Pinned Comment For More Information**