A Chicago Police officer responding to a ShotSpotter alert fired shots at a child who was playing with fireworks—that’s the conclusion from the Civilian Office of Police Accountability in a statement released today.
“COPA can confirm that a firearm was not used against the officers,” said COPA First Deputy Chief Administrator, Ephraim Eaddy.
CPD initially identified the child as a man, claiming he had opened fire first.
They also reported seeing “flashes of light.”
“When officers arrived in the area, they observed an individual, who has now been identified as a juvenile, standing near a residence. As one officer exited the vehicle, they heard a loud bang, which was later determined to be fireworks. The officer who exited the vehicle discharged their firearm in the direction of the juvenile, who was not struck by gunfire,” investigators state in the press release about the incident.
Body-worn camera footage from the three officers responding to the ShotSpotter alert appears to show one officer immediately fire his gun after hearing a loud bang.
He then yells, “Shots fired! Shots fired!” as another officer radios in a “10-1,” indicating officers are in need of urgent assistance.
The main thing holding us back from getting rid of bad cops is refusing to recognize that the institutions of law enforcement in the US are rotten to their core and we’re designed explicitly in the wake of civil rights and labor movements to enforce socio-economic and racial disparities through violence.
Which isn’t to say that you aren’t making a great point about how qualified immunity is a really important part of the problem though.
Yeah, eliminating qualified immunity won't fix the problem on its own, but it at least gives victims a better shot at holding police responsible and thus weeding out a lot of the bad actors.
I would also like to see a significant portion of police be unarmed, with an increase in salary (and expectations) for those who are armed. That might get that mentality shift needed.