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Chicago Police Shooting Was Homicide, Medical Examiner Says

Chicago police say they shot and killed an 18-year-old man who was in a stolen Jaguar that sideswiped a squad vehicle and hit a parked auto, injuring some officers, Thursday evening.

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“CPD investigators determined three officers discharged their weapons in the course of their duties and given what is known thus far, it appears that departmental policies may have been violated by at least two of the police officers”, Guglielmi said in the email.

The shooting occurred during a stolen vehicle investigation.

Paul O’Neal was killed as he sped away from police and crashed a Jaguar convertible reported stolen from southwest suburban Bolingbrook. Police said they “attempted to curb” the auto near 74th Street and Merrill Avenue when the Jaguar sideswiped the police vehicle and another nearby parked auto.

O’Neal was later pronounced dead at a hospital. The officers involved in the shooting were placed on administrative duty for 30 days.

O’Neal was shot and killed Thursday night during a stolen vehicle investigation.

Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson on Saturday relieved a third officer of his police powers in the death of a suspect after autopsy results showed the 18-year-old died of a gunshot wound to the back.

Police say officers exited their vehicle around 7:30 p.m. Thursday after stopping a Jaguar convertible that had been reported stolen.

Late Friday, the department said it was sidelining the officers because of apparently broken rules. Both officers stripped of their police powers have less than five years experience on the job.

The department said that two officers fired their weapons, wounding O’Neal, who was pronounced dead at a hospital. It was requested by a coalition of community groups, attorneys and McDonald’s family.

Chicago police have come under criticism for some of those incidents, including the October 2014 slaying of Laquan McDonald, 17, who was shot 16 times by an officer. She is a former judge and now a partner in a law firm.

In Febuary 2015, the Chicago Police Department changed its rules on use of deadly force, banning officers from shooting at moving vehicles if no other weapons were being used against police.

Jennifer Loudon’s husband Thor Soderberg was shot dead in 2010 when a man surprised him in a parking lot as the officer changed clothes in his auto. She says her late husband “knew effective policing required treating people with kindness and respect”. Members of the Independent Police Review Authority were also on the scene. A judge acquitted Evans in December of charges he shoved his gun down a suspect’s throat.

The shooting took place at 7:30 p.m.in the 7400 block of South Merrill after police tried to pull over the vehicle and O’Neal sped away, sideswiping a police auto. “That’s when the officers fired”.

The officers were wearing body cameras, police said.

“This is going to be a very active investigation”, First Deputy Superintendent John Escalante told the Chicago Tribune from the scene.

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The Independent Police Review Authority is investigating the shooting.

Third CPD officer relieved of police powers after fatal shooting