No Gun Found & No Bodycam: Unnamed Chicago Cop who Fatally Shot Fleeing Black Teen in the Back Relieved of Duty [for now]
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From [HERE] and [HERE] and [HERE] The unnamed Chicago Police sergeant involved in the fatal shooting of 19-year-old Kajuan Raye has now been relieved of his police powers pending the completion of the Independent Police Review Authority's investigation.
The sergeant says Raye pointed a gun at him, but police have not found a weapon. Chicago police Superintendent Eddie Johnson said;
"Having been a police officer for 28 years, I know that this job is not easy and the decision to use force is extremely complex and must be made in seconds without the benefits of formal reviews and deliberations," Johnson said. "However, based on the little information we know at this point, I have concerns about this incident and feel this decision is in the best interest of the department and the people of Chicago as we await a methodical and impartial investigation into exactly what transpired.”
"We were not able to locate a weapon as of yet," Johnson said in remarks at police headquarters on the South Side. “We have some missing information in our timeline."
On Wednesday, Raye, of south suburban Dolton, died of a gunshot wound to the back, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office. His death was ruled a homicide, the office said.
Police, including an Englewood District police sergeant, responded at 11:07 p.m. Wednesday to a battery in progress in the 1400 block of West 65th Street, Johnson said earlier.
The sergeant spotted a man who "matched the description of the offender" in the battery, Johnson said. The sergeant identified himself as an officer and approached the man, but he began to run and the sergeant gave chase.
During the pursuit the man "turned and pointed" a weapon at the sergeant two separate times, which led the sergeant to shoot him, Johnson said.
Police said no gun had been found at the shooting scene as of Thursday, and declined to say Friday whether a search of the surrounding area was still ongoing.
Apparently the medical examiner’s office has not indicated whether Raye showed any physical signs of being involved in a battery. No other corroborative details about the alleged battery (such as how Raye matched the description of the suspect) have been provided.
In an interview with the Chicago Sun-Times on Friday, attorney Jay Payne said he is representing the family, and planned to file a civil rights lawsuit in U.S. District Court on Monday against the CPD and the officer who shot Raye.
Johnson also said it was not clear if the officers involved in the chase and shooting were wearing body cameras, though the department announced in September that body cameras would be issued to all patrol officers in six police districts, including the 7th District-Englewood, where Raye was shot. A spokeswoman for the Independent Police Review Authority, the city agency that investigates police misconduct, said Thursday that officers in the 7th District had not yet been outfitted with body cameras.
Surveillance camera video from a church near the shooting scene shows Raye sprinting away from a police officer, who trails the teen by a a half-dozen yards. The footage does not capture the shooting. [MORE]
