On Feb. 3, 2024, Isaac Goodlow, an unarmed Black man, was shot and killed by a police officer in his own home in Carol Stream, Illinois.

For the first time, through deposition video, we are hearing from the officer who fatally shot him. He describes, in his own words, why this happened.

Goodlow was 30 years old when he was killed by Officer Daniel Pfingston as Carol Stream police responded to a domestic violence call.

The deposition was taken as part of an ongoing civil lawsuit and given to CBS News Chicago by the Goodlow family's attorney. 

Pfingston arrived at the Villagebrook Apartments around 4:15 a.m. after 911 received a call saying a "boy just jumped on my sister." The caller tells 911 in the call that "He jumped on her, she came to our house screaming and crying, her eye is black, her lip is busted."

Goodlow's attorneys claim the caller was the sister of a woman who had a relationship with Isaac.

The 911 dispatcher asks if there were any weapons involved, to which the caller responds, "No."

Less than an hour after Pfingston responded to the call, Goodlow was dead. The alleged victim was outside when officers got there, and away from Goodlow when officers moved to enter his apartment.

"The plan was, I am in the front with my shield and my firearm," Pfingston says in the deposition video. "There is someone behind me with a Taser. And two people behind, hands on. And the plan was to enter the apartment and attempt to effect the arrest of Isaac."

Pfingston describes the stance he planned to take as "Captain America-style," in the deposition video, elaborating: "Shield up."

Pfingston was first in a line of six officers. In his body camera video, the shield he is holding partially obstructs the camera's view. Still, you can see them calling out and getting no response; they narrow in on Goodlow's bedroom, and he had not responded.

In the deposition, Pfingston described Goodlow as standing and reaching towards him when he shot him. The medical examiner's report appears to contradict that statement.

"I had just taken a human life, and I was very emotional and stressed," Pfingston explains in the deposition.

No weapon was ever found in Goodlow's bedroom.

Pfingston said he didn't fill out a primary incident report the night of the shooting. He gave a written statement 48 hours later, and had time to review his own body camera video and that of the body cameras of other officers.

Carol Stream Police Chief Don Cummings confirmed he has the right to review that footage before giving his statement.

"As long as a general case report was written, which meets the state requirements under the SAFE-T Act, then technically he could review those videos," he said.

DuPage County State's Attorney Bob Berlin refused to speak with CBS News Chicago about the Goodlow case because of an ongoing federal civil lawsuit. He referred us to a statement from June 2024 announcing there would be no criminal charges, ending by saying in part, "Criminal charges can only be filed, however, if the evidence is sufficient to support a conviction beyond a reasonable doubt."

Goodlow's family said they are hurt and grieving more than a year on from his death.

"I actually thought when I first initially saw the video that the state's attorney would do the right thing," said Goodlow's sister, Kennetha Barnes. "I was really hurt that Isaac passed, but when I saw the video, I saw justice."

And just as the grief hasn't faded, the time that has passed since the shooting also has not weakened their resolve.

"I know Isaac isn't coming back, but I will continue to fight for him forever," Barnes said. "I don't care how long it takes. Because he deserves justice."

In the absence of criminal charges, Goodlow's family has filed a federal civil lawsuit. The Village of Carol Stream has called the family's demands "exorbitant," adding that their argument is "inconsistent with both the facts."

CBS News Chicago tried to reach Pfingston and contacted multiple lawyers known to represent him. One of his attorneys responded with a statement, calling Goodlow's death "unfortunate" and saying in part, "Isaac Goodlow's family filed their lawsuit without a full understanding of the facts and circumstances that led to Isaac's death."

"He was shot, however, because he tried to ambush Officer Pfingston inside a dark apartment from behind a bedroom door," the attorney added.

Full statement from the Village of Carol Stream

The Village of Carol Stream has been actively defending this case since late February 2024.  The Village has participated in discussions regarding resolution as requested by the Court.  However, exorbitant demands by the Plaintiffs' attorneys demonstrate their lack of interest in reasonably resolving this case and are inconsistent with both the facts of the case as established by the MERIT Public Integrity Team and DuPage County State's Attorney's independent review of the incident and the facts revealed during discovery in the ongoing litigation.  Accordingly, the Village remains fully committed to successfully defending the case in court.  

In response to your question regarding the Village's litigation costs, those costs are covered under the Village's insurance.

Full statement from Pfingston's attorney

Isaac Goodlow's family filed their lawsuit without a full understanding of the facts and circumstances that led to Isaac's death. Isaac's death is unfortunate.  He was shot, however, because he tried to ambush Officer Pfingston inside a dark apartment from behind a bedroom door, to provoke the shooting.  Indeed, Isaac told his girlfriend while he was attacking her that morning that if she called the police, they would either have to kill him, or he would kill himself.  Responding to a domestic violence call is among an officer's most risky duties which is why police spent an hour calling out to Isaac to voluntarily exit the apartment.  Isaac entirely ignored the officers and his decision to charge at Officer Pfingston and reach for the Officer's service weapon underscores the notoriously dangerous and explosive nature of such calls for service.  The decision of the DuPage County State's Attorney's Office not to charge any officer involved in this incident after reviewing all of the evidence in this case demonstrates that Officer Pfingston had no choice but to shoot or risk serious injury or death to himself and his fellow officers if Isaac was able to gain control over Officer Pfingston's firearm.