Chicago Criminal Lawyer Blog
Two Chicago police officers have been charged after an on-duty shooting of an unarmed man, according to the State’s Attorney’s Office. Charges were filed after video surveillance contradicted statements made by the police officers concerning the incident. The two officers now face charges of aggravated battery with a firearm, aggravated discharge of a firearm, and official misconduct. Each of these is a felony with a potential sentence of up to 30 years. The two have been relieved of duty.
The victim did not have a weapon, nor did he fire a weapon when police officers shot at him. He has since filed a lawsuit against the Chicago police. The man was shot twice in the back and once in the leg. His attorney says that he was not a threat to police officers when he was shot.
The situation was made worse after the victim was brought to the hospital for treatment. At the hospital, the victim was pulled away to answer questions. He was later released without charges and sent back to the hospital. He was still in pain and bleeding when he was he was being questioned.
What Happened?
It is not very clear. First of all, the officers were both in an unmarked car on their way to a training seminar. They saw some people who looked suspicious and decided to intervene. The victim was with a juvenile holding a cell phone and a bottle of wine. The juvenile had a satchel that contained a gun. While the juvenile appeared to touch the gun, at some point, he turned around and ran from the police car. The victim held up both his hands. One hand had a bottle of wine and a cell phone, while the other was empty. Police fired on the man, who fell to the ground. At this point, the juvenile began returning fire. A pedestrian was hit in the leg during the exchange.
After the incident, officers told investigators that they returned fire after they were shot at. However, video surveillance determined that was a lie. They then changed their story and said that the juvenile was holding a gun before they shot at him. Video surveillance proved that was a lie.
Official Misconduct
Even if the shooting was justified after watching the tape, the fact that the two police officers lied in official statements to authorities would be enough to file charges against them and hold them accountable for official misconduct. So, if some clever attorney manages to get them off on the charges of aggravated battery and aggravated discharge of a weapon on the basis that they panic-fired their weapon, they can still be held accountable for lying to authorities about what happened. Ultimately, that will be their undoing.
Talk to a Chicago Criminal Defense Attorney Today
David Freidberg represents the interests of Chicago residents who have been charged with violent crimes in Cook County. Call today at (312) 560-7100 to schedule an appointment, and we can begin preparing your case immediately.
