Paul O’Neal, 18, was shot in South Merrill on Thursday as he attempted to flee from police officers who were trying to stop him as he drove about in a stolen Jaguar vehicle.
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CHICAGO (AP) – Dashcam and body camera videos of a fatal police shooting of an 18-year-old suspect last week suggests violations of departmental policy, Chicago’s police superintendent said Sunday, indicating that top police brass are moving more swiftly to scrutinize officer-involved shootings than in the past.
Chicago police say that officers stopped the stolen Jaguar convertible Thursday evening in the city’s South Shore neighborhood and were exiting their own vehicle when the driver sped away, sideswiping a squad auto and a parked vehicle in the process. Officers said they were approaching the vehicle when O’Neal hit the gas, side-swiping a squad auto and injuring some officers at the scene. The auto sideswiped a squad vehicle and also hit a auto parked on the street, he said. The police department is looking into why the officer’s device was not working when he fired at O’Neal.
O’Neal was later pronounced dead at a hospital.
A 17-year-old boy who was also in the vehicle was taken into police custody.
Police found that Paul O’Neal was unarmed and did not find any guns at the scene. The Independent Police Review Authority, the body investigating the police shooting, typically keeps video of incidents private for 60 days while they investigate, Calloway said.
Johnson also said all the officers involved were wearing body cameras.
“This is going to be a very active investigation”, Escalante said.
For the first time in their brief history of use by the Chicago Police Department, officer-worn body cameras captured video of a fatal police shooting last week. A third officer who had been in one of the police vehicles struck by the Jaguar gave chase after O’Neal fled on foot and fatally shot him.
“I am committed to keeping my promise to all Chicagoans to restore that faith, while also never losing sight of the courage, commitment and sacrifice the men and women of the Chicago police department make each and every day”, he said.
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Last week, the Independent Police Review Authority (IRPA) ruled that Chicago police used unjustified force previous year when they shot and wounded a black suspect in an alleged drug transaction who drove off in his vehicle when officers tried to stop him. Also firing a barrage of rounds might only serve to increase the danger faced by officers and bystanders if the driver is shot and unable to control the auto. No gun was found on O’Neal or inside the stolen vehicle.
