Trial Underway for Ex-Waukegan Officer Charged in Fatal 2020 Shooting

The trial for former Waukegan police officer Dante Salinas began in September 2025, where he faces multiple charges including second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter for the October 20, 2020, shooting death of 19-year-old Marcellis Stinnette and the injury of his girlfriend, Tafarra Williams. Prosecutors allege Salinas fired multiple shots into Williams' car after a traffic stop pursuit, fatally wounding Stinnette who was unarmed, while Williams survived but was injured. Salinas also faces charges related to a separate 2019 incident involving aggravated battery. The defense has pleaded not guilty, while family attorneys argue racial profiling motivated the shooting. Williams was separately charged with aggravated fleeing but released on bond. The trial is taking place at the Lake County Courthouse in Waukegan, with Salinas facing up to 20 years if convicted of second-degree murder.