95 Year Old Man in Senior Care Facility Shot 5 Times by Police with Bean Bags Resulting in his Death

Thanks to reporter John Kass of the Chicago Tribune, the story of John Wrana's death at the hands of Park Forest, Illinois police is not dying without answers to questions as to why a 95-year-old man, who needed a walker to get around, was tasered and shot by police in riot gear resulting in his death. John Kass is reporting that although an investigation is still pending more than 6 months after John Wrana's death, due apparently to public pressure that is being applied mainly through Kass at the Chicago Tribune, Kass has now received a copy of the report which reveals Mr. Wrana, a World War II veteran, was shot 5 times by rounds of bean bags from a shot gun, which resulted in his death. John Wrana was suffering from a urinary tract infection and refused medical treatment, not wanting to go to the hospital. The police report states that Mr. Wrana was "brandishing a knife with a 7-inch blade," something other residents and staff dispute, stating they had never seen this. When Mr. Wrana refused to cooperate with the police in his managed care facility, inside his own room, they tasered him. He still did not cooperate, so they shot him 5 times with bean bag rounds, fired at close range from a shot gun. He died of internal injuries shortly after that. According to the latest news that Kass is reporting, in the police report the reason that police state they had to shoot Mr. Wrana was that "they were afraid for their lives." There were apparently at least 4 officers, and one officer had a riot shield and Taser.

Family Still Has No Answers from Police Who Shot and Killed WWII Vet in Nursing Home for Refusing Medical Treatment

John Kass of the Chicago Tribune reports this week that the family members of John Wrana, who died in his nursing care facility after police shot him with multiple rounds of bean bags from a shot gun, still have not received any explanation as to why he was killed. In July of this year (2013), we reported on this incident in Park Forest, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. John Wrana was 95 years old and a World War II veteran. When paramedics showed up to transport him to a hospital to treat his urinary tract infection, he refused to go. The paramedics then called the police, rather than ask the nursing home staff to help. When the police arrived, they were equipped in full riot gear. Mr. Wrana got around with a walker and was reportedly sitting down at the time. He still refused to go to the hospital. Police claim he had a long shoe horn that he was wielding. The police then tasered him with a taser gun. Mr. Wrana still refused to go. Police then took out a shot gun and shot him multiple times in the abdomen with bean bag rounds. John Kass of the Chicago Tribune, who has done a great job covering this story, found out later that such tactics by the police had not been used in over 10 years. The police claim Mr. Wrana had a butcher knife, but such a knife was never found, and the staff and other residents claim they never saw him with a knife. It has been nearly 6 months since this happened, and the police are still "investigating" the incident. No explanations, no findings, no charges, no one held accountable. I think they owe the family an explanation.

95 Year Old WWII Vet Refuses to go to Hospital for Urinary Tract Infection, so Police Shoot and Kill Him

John Wrana was reportedly suffering from a urinary tract infection, and paramedics arrived to transport him to a hospital. Mr. Wrana refused to go, so the paramedics reportedly called the police, who showed up in riot gear. When Mr. Wrana continued to refuse transport to the hospital, they shot him with a stun gun. He still refused, so they reportedly shot him in the stomach with a bean bag round from a shot gun - three times. He was reportedly sitting down at the time, and friends have testified that Mr. Wrana was so wobbly on his feet that he needed a walker, and could be pushed down easily with little force he was so unstable. The family and their attorney want to know why this happened, as they have received no answers in over a month now, and no one has been held accountable.