Graphic body camera footage released Tuesday reveals the chaos that ensued when a plainclothes Chicago police officer fired nearly 100 shots during a traffic stop last month, killing one young man and wounding another. did.
Dexter Reed, 26, died during a traffic stop in Humboldt Park on March 21 after being pulled over by a police officer in an unmarked patrol car for allegedly not wearing a seatbelt.
Chaotic footage shows Reed rolling down the SUV’s window, rolling it up and then refusing to get out of the vehicle, as five officers shout commands and deploy their weapons. It’s unplugged.
Preliminary evidence showed Reed fired first at one officer during the shootout on West Ferdinand Street. Four other officers then opened fire, the Police Civilian Bureau said in a statement.
“Available preliminary evidence also confirms that officers fired approximately 96 shots in a 41-second period, including after Mr. Reed exited his vehicle and fell to the ground,” COPA said.
The released video shows multiple points of view, including that of the officer who was shot, but there is no clear footage of Reed firing at police.
A gun was later recovered from the passenger seat of his car.
One man, who called 911 to report the shooting as gunshots rang out, said it seemed like the officers were “shooting like we were in the Vietnam War.”
The footage showed Reid getting out of the car and falling to the ground near the rear wheels of the car, which was riddled with bullet holes.
“Don’t move! Don’t move!” the officers yell at Reed, who remains face down with his head tucked under the back of the car and is handcuffed.
A police officer said, “We don’t know where the gun is.”
As more police officers and an ambulance arrived on the scene, another officer said, “He started firing at us.”
Reed’s grieving family has questioned authorities’ recount of the shooting, said attorney Andrew M. Stross.
“I can’t really explain the pain that I and my family are going through, but there are people out there who understand that he was a son, a brother, an uncle, and that he had loved ones. I just hope he’s there,” Reed’s sister, Porsha Banks, told reporters. “He was a very important person.”
Reed’s family wants an investigation into the shooting, saying he was a talented basketball player who had dreams of becoming a sportscaster. Lawyers ruled the shooting was unconstitutional because the plainclothes officers did not publicly identify themselves as police officers.
The coroner classified Reed’s death as a homicide and reported that he died of “multiple” gunshot wounds.
Police spokesman Thomas Ahern said the department is cooperating with the investigation.
Mayor Brandon Johnson said the release of the video and 911 call is part of an effort to increase transparency.
State Attorney Kim Foxx said her office will determine whether the officers’ use of force was justified and whether criminal charges are necessary.
Comes with post wire.
