A harrowing video of the police shooting that took place on the evening of March 21 in Chicago, USA, was released on Tuesday.
The video was captured by a body camera of police officers involved in law enforcement at the scene, and a group of police officers fired 96 bullets at Dexter Reed, a 26-year-old black youth, while directing traffic order in the 3800 block of West Ferdinand Street in Chicago, killing him instantly.
Police fired at least three more shots at Dexter Reid after 26-year-old Dexter Reid was lying unconscious on the streets of Humboldt Park with severe gunshot wounds, video released by the Civil Office of Police Accountability.
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The release of the video drew an immediate response from city leaders, including Mayor Brandon Johnson, who called the scenes "deeply disturbing" and "extremely painful and traumatic for many residents of our city."
Reed's family's attorneys plan to file criminal charges against the officers involved in the shooting.
As the investigation continues, COPA recommends stripping four officers involved in the shooting of police powers, officials said.
Andrea Kersten, chief administrative officer of the Office of Police Accountability (COPA), wrote to Police Chief Larry Snelling on April 1 expressing concern about the reason for the stop, the Chicago Tribune said. She also said that while Reid got out of the car and was unarmed, the four officers who shot him continued to shoot, three of them reloaded in a 41-second gunshot.
The letter questioned whether police could reasonably see if Reed was wearing a seatbelt because his car windows were tinted.
Video shows a traffic jam in the 3800 block of West Ferdinand Street on the evening of March 21, when a team of five tactical officers stopped a white SUV driven by Reed. The police pulled out their weapons and repeatedly ordered him to roll down the window.
The video shows Reid initially complied, but he ignored the order to roll down the passenger's side window, and the gunfire erupted seconds after the police shouted. A Chicago Police Department officer standing on the passenger side of an SUV was shot in the wrist. COPA said Reed fired first.
Over the next 30 seconds, the police fired dozens more rounds. After Reid was shot, he fell out of his car and the police continued to shoot him while he lay motionless in the street. COPA officials said the four officers fired a total of 96 rounds during the firefight.
A gun was found in the front passenger seat of the SUV, authorities said.
"As a mayor and a father raising two families, including two black boys, on Chicago's West Side, I am personally shocked to see yet another young Black man killed in an interaction with the police," Mayor Johnson said. ”
It is not known how many Reid were shot. The medical examiner told the Tribune 18 days after Reed's death that Reed's autopsy had not yet been finalized.
COPA President Kirsten appeared at a press conference, noting that Reid appeared to shoot first, wounding one police officer, and then four officers returned fire.
Attorney Andrew Stroth said Reed's family watched the footage Monday with representatives from COPA.
Reed's sister and father made a solemn call for justice and accountability, and his mother, Nicole Banks, stepped up to the microphone.
"I just miss my son," she said with tears in her eyes. "I'm hurt, I'm sick, I feel like I've been shot. My guts are burning. ”
Steven Hart, one of the lawyers, said, "Why would tactical police officers draw their guns against each other for the simple traffic offense of not wearing a seatbelt?" Hart said. "For us, for our family, it doesn't sound commensurate. There was a problem with law and order in the city, and five tactical police officers jumped out of an unmarked police car, brandishing weapons, against a young man who was not wearing a seatbelt. ”
"Dexter is the second of three children," his family said, "and he has an older sister, Portha, and a younger brother, Julius." Dexter played basketball at Westinghouse College Preparatory High School and led the team to the regional championship in 2016. After graduating from high school, Dexter attended Moreton Academy and played basketball. Although Dexter loves basketball. ”
Protesters blocked the intersection of South Keys Avenue and West Harrison Street for about 40 minutes late Tuesday at an activist-led news conference outside Harrison District Police Headquarters. Except for a brief scuffle when protesters chased one of the questioners, the protests were peaceful. Throughout the protest, the crowd chanted "Who do you serve, who do you protect?" and a group of officers watched.
Mayor Johnson stressed the importance of "building trust" between the community and the police at a press conference, but did not place the blame on Reid or the responding cops.
"It's not that simple. But we're not going to rest," Johnson said. "The only way we can build trust is through accountability. ”
"Shooting a police officer is never forgivable. ...... I'm never going to support that, and neither is the City of Chicago," Johnson said. "We must also be very clear that we are demanding the highest standards from the police. As legal representatives, they have the highest accountability to the communities they serve. As a government, as representatives of the people, we have an obligation to abide by the rule of law and follow procedures, and this is what we ultimately do. ”