Teenager ‘executed’ by police
Family views disturbing footage of alleged car thief’s final moments.
Chicago police swore at a black teenager as he lay dying, having been shot by a police officer, disturbing body camera footage released yesterday shows.
Officers also accused Paul O’Neal, 18, who was fatally shot in the back on July 28, of opening fire on police. The video shows that the teenager was unarmed.
The footage threatens to worsen tensions between the public and the police in Chicago, following a spate of high-profile killings that prompted a federal investigation and the sacking of the city’s police chief at the end of last year.
Three officers involved in the incident have been stripped of their duties by police superintendent Eddie Johnson. After watching the footage, Johnson said it looked as if the officers had violated departmental protocols.
The incident occurred after O’Neal allegedly stole a Jaguar convertible from a Chicago suburb. The footage shows a frenzied scene of multiple police cars racing to block O’Neal in a residential street in the South Shore neighbourhood. While the teen is in the vehicle, officers are seen trying to shoot at him.
Once all the officers are in close proximity to O’Neal’s car, they try to block him with their vehicles. The car almost hits one officer, who has jumped out of his police car to fire. At least one officer can be seen with his gun in his car.
In a final attempt to escape, O’Neal collides with a police car in his stolen vehicle and then flees on foot. He is shot in the back by an officer – an event not captured on video because the body camera of the officer in question was not working properly, according to police.
Police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said an investigation was under way to determine why the camera did not work. Authorities do not believe the officer intentionally turned off the camera.
Due to the graphic nature of the videos, the agency invited O’Neal’s family to view the footage prior to its release. They were not able to take questions yesterday, and a spokesperson was not made available.
The family’s lawyer, Michael Oppenheimer, spoke to reporters. ‘‘We just watched the family watch the execution of their loving son,’’ he said.
‘‘It is one of the most horrific things that I have seen aside from being in a movie. These police, these police officers decided to play judge, jury and executioner.
‘‘It was a cold-blooded killing. You shouldn’t even shoot dogs that are running away.’’
Oppenheimer called for a special prosecutor in the case. The family has filed a civil rights lawsuit against the Chicago
The chief administrator of the Chicago Independent Police Review Authority, Sharon Fairley, said: ‘‘As shocking and disturbing as it is, [the footage] is not the only evidence to be gathered and analysed when conducting a fair and thorough assessment of [the] conduct of police officers in performing their duties.’’
The footage was released only eight days after the incident, potentially signalling new efforts at transparency as the city sees regular protests against its police department.
Civil rights groups, including the Police Practices Project, approved of the swift release.
Activists in Chicago have formed an encampment outside the Homan Square police facility in an attempt to see it closed down. Black Lives Matter activists have a march planned tomorrow in memory of O’Neal. police department.