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COPA releases harrowing video of fatal police shooting of Dexter Reed in Chicago, which mayor calls 'deeply disturbing'

Sam Charles, Chicago Tribune on

Published in News & Features

“If that bullet had hit him a few inches in a different direction, I would be here today talking about the loss of another Black man,” Johnson said about the CPD officer who was wounded.

Chicago police issued a statement earlier Tuesday.

“This shooting remains under investigation by the Civilian Office of Police Accountability (COPA) with the full cooperation of the Chicago Police Department,” the statement read. “We cannot make a determination on this shooting until all the facts are known and this investigation has concluded.”

It was not known how many times Reed was shot. A representative for the Cook County medical examiner’s officer told the Chicago Tribune on Monday — 18 days after his death — that Reed’s autopsy was not yet finalized.

Johnson was joined at his news conference by COPA Chief Administrator Andrea Kersten, who noted that Reed appeared to fire his gun first, wounding one of the officers, before four cops shot back about 96 times.

“These are incredibly painful and complex incidents that often garner considerable public attention, but at their core they most impact the lives of those directly involved and their loved ones,” Kersten said. “My hope today is that we can provide facts about the processes.”

 

Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx at the same news conference did not indicate whether criminal charges seemed likely, but spoke broadly about her “unwavering” commitment to finding justice for all parties.

“We are aware of the community’s need for answers and the desire for swiftness,” Foxx, who chose not to seek a third term this year, said. “Let me assure you that our pursuit of justice will be relentless, guided by the facts, grounded in evidence and the law. However, and I must stress, it is equally important that we allow the investigative process the time it needs to ensure that its findings are beyond reproach.”

Reed’s family viewed the footage Monday with representatives from the COPA, according to attorney Andrew Stroth.

Hours after the videos were released, more than a dozen members of Reed’s family and their attorneys gathered for a press conference outside COPA’s office in West Town.

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