City officials said the video footage from three cameras, including a police camera, would likely be released later on Thursday. The embattled prosecutor told reporters Thursday that it shows that she’ll be independent of the party, which didn’t back her previous campaigns.
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A new investigator was assigned and ruled the shooting justified. “I slowed my pursuit ’cause I didn’t know where (the shots) were coming from”, Toth said, according to police reports. The attorney for officers Fry and Toth say his clients stand by their statements that they believe Chatman was armed and turned towards the officers. Fry claimed in his deposition that he feared for his partner’s life, as well as “any pedestrians in the area”.
His family had asked that the video be made public as it sued the city over the shooting, arguing it would counter the city’s narrative that Chatman posed a danger to police. Three surveillance cameras – a blue light camera at 75th and Jeffrey, and two surveillance cameras at South Shore High School – captured the shooting from a distance and there are hard to see. Akeem Clarke, Chatman’s neighbor, was charged in the killing but was not even on the scene. Chicago police said Chatman was carrying a box that officers mistook for a gun, and that he turned at them before he was shot.
As recent as December, the city-appointed lawyers representing Officer Kevin Fry-who has not been disciplined-sought to keep the video from the public eye to avoid tainting the jury pool with prejudice.
The video of McDonald’s shooting, however, was fairly clear, whereas both lawyers for the city and Chatman’s family have said that the surveillance video isn’t of the best quality and the camera itself was far away from the shooting, the Chicago Tribune reported.
“That policy for the city has always existed, which is you don’t do anything to hamper an investigation”, he said at an afternoon news conference.
It turned out the object was a black iPhone box.
The city attempted to spin the release as a change of heart and an effort to be more transparent, despite the fact they fought the release for years. Coffman said the video’s release would help promote change.
The footage drew national outrage and led to the firing of the police superintendent and calls for Emanuel’s resignation since the shooting happened more than a year ago, but charges were only now brought against a cop.
“I’m very disturbed by the way this happened”, Judge Gettleman said upon releasing the video.
A federal judge lifted a protective order on the video of Cedrick Chatman’s last seconds after the city – in a surprise about-face – dropped its longstanding opposition to making it public. Overhead video that city attorneys consider to be the primary footage shows Chatman bolt across the street from a auto with Officer Lou Toth on his heels.
The city had withdrawn its opposition to the videos’ release. The family is continuing to pursue its lawsuit against the city.
At Thursday’s hearing, U.S. District Judge Robert Gettleman sharply criticized the city attorneys for suddenly reversing course on the video’s release after spending weeks trying to prevent it.
The reports showed LeGrier was shot six times, including twice in the back.
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The release of the video comes as a spotlight remains on the Chicago Police Department after Officer Jason Van Dyke was charged with murder in the shooting death of another 17-year-old, Laquan McDonald.
