Recorded on cellphone video struggling with an apparently unarmed man, two Chicago police officers are under investigation after one of them shot the man twice. Although the man was clearly resisting arrest, he never appeared to attack the officers or give any indication that lethal force was necessary.
On Friday afternoon at the CTA station located at State Street and Grand Avenue, two Chicago police officers confronted a man for reportedly walking between train cars. A bystander began recording a cellphone video of the officers deploying their Tasers in order to drop the man to the ground.
As the officers failed to place the man in handcuffs, the male cop ordered the female officer to spray mace in the suspect’s face. According to the second video, the male officer ordered the female officer to shoot the suspect as soon as he rose to his feet.
Despite the fact that the man was staggering forward while wiping the pepper spray out of his eyes, the female cop shot him with a single round. In an attempt to escape, the wounded suspect ran up the escalator as the two officers chased after him and fired a second round.
The unidentified suspect was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital and underwent surgery, Chicago Police Department Deputy Superintendent Barbara West said. He was last reported in critical, but stable condition.
Per department policy, both officers have been taken off patrol duty and placed on paid administrative duties while an investigation into the shooting continues.
On Friday, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot took to Twitter and wrote, “I have viewed the widely shared footage depicting the police-involved shooting at the CTA station. With the strong caveat that one perspective does not depict the entirety of the incident, the video is extremely disturbing and the actions by these officers are deeply concerning.”
Mayor Lightfoot also announced that the incident is being independently investigated by both the Civilian Office of Police Accountability and the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office.
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