Video: Man Hits Ill. Police Officer with Baseball Bat in Violent Clash

A 41-year-old man was fatally shot by Peoria police after he swung a baseball bat and struck an officer who was responding to a report of a suspicious person.

Joe Vince

Sept. 8, 2025

What to know

Peoria police fatally shot a 41-year-old suspect on Aug. 5 after he struck an officer with a baseball bat, according to the Illinois State Police, which is investigating the incident.
One officer fired a shot from a firearm, while another deployed a Taser before the suspect fled and was eventually found on the ground.
An autopsy determined the suspect died from a gunshot wound to the abdomen.

Body camera footage captured a deadly incident in which a 41-year-old suspect was fatally shot by Illinois police after he struck an officer with a baseball bat last month.

The incident happened at around 5:15 p.m. Aug. 5 when Peoria police responded to a report of a suspicious person near an intersection, according to a news release by the Illinois State Police, which is investigating the officer-involved shooting. When police encountered the man—identified as Brandon Lewis—he struck an officer with a baseball bat.

Despite being struck by the bat, the officer was able to fire a shot. Another also deployed a Taser.

Lewis fled from police, and officers eventually found him on the ground. They begin providing medical aid to Lewis after handcuffing him, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.

An autopsy determined that Lewis died of a gunshot wound to the abdomen.

About the Author

Joe Vince

Joining Endeavor Business Media in 2018, Joe has worked on the company's city services publications. He began working at OFFICER.com as the assistant editor. Before starting at Endeavor, Joe had worked for a variety of print and online news outlets, including the Indianapolis Star, the South Bend Tribune, Reddit and Patch.com.