The report from the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office, concludes that the 18-year-old O’Neal sustained a “penetrating gunshot wound of the back, located 20 inches below the top of the head”.
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O’Neal, 18, reportedly refused to stop the vehicle and “rammed head on” into a marked squad auto, injuring two officers.
The reports also said one officer believed he heard “numerous shots” coming from O’Neal’s vehicle, a detail that has not been independently corroborated.
O’Neal was struck by a single bullet in the right side of his back, according to the report.
Body cam footage showing the fatal police shooting of Paul O’Neal. (The officer who killed O’Neal was wearing a body camera, but it was not turned on during the shooting-a fact which has caused some controversy.) O’Neal is seen in videos after being shot, facedown against the concrete, with his back bloodied. The videos do not show the gunfire that killed O’Neal, but show the events leading up to and after the shooting, including officers firing at a moving vehicle and O’Neal bleeding on the ground.
Believing the shots were fired by O’Neal, an officer fired his “Glock 9mm handgun five times in an attempt to stop the threat”, the report states. The police report indicates that an unidentified passenger was arrested on the scene. Bodycam footage shows the events leading up to O’Neal’s fatal shooting.
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Per department policy, the officers involved were stripped of police powers and placed on administrative leave.
