Lakemoor police officer fatally shoots man sought in Pennsylvania murder case

A man who had been sought by authorities is a Pennsylvania murder was fatally shot by a Lakemoor police officer early Thursday in the north suburb.

The shooting happened about 5 a.m. near Four Seasons Boulevard and Sullivan Lake Road, according to Chris Covelli, a spokesman for the Lake County Major Crimes Task Force.

An officer was on patrol when she noticed a car parked on a gravel access road that seemed out of place, Covelli said. When she approached 36-year-old Kenneth Martell in the driver’s seat and began talking to him, Martell pulled out a handgun and a struggle ensued over a weapon, authorities said.

When a second officer arrived at the scene, he saw Martell was armed with two guns, Covelli said. One of the two officers fired at Martell and fatally wounded him.

Martell was pronounced dead at the scene and preliminary autopsy results found he died of a gunshot wound to the face, according to the Lake County Coroner’s Office.

Both officers were taken to a hospital to be evaluated, but neither was believed to have suffered physical injuries, Covelli said.

The task force will conduct an independent investigation, including a review of the officers’ body-worn cameras, into the shooting.

The Lakemoor police department declined to comment on the officer’s use of force Thursday morning.

The task force said authorities were looking for Martell in connection with a homicide earlier this week in Crawford County, Pennsylvania. Martell lived in Meadville, Pennsylvania, which is in Crawford County.