Four Chicago police officers shoot at man 96 times after he shot an officer in the arm - March 21, 2024

Chicago, Illinois, United States

Chicago police officers fired nearly 100 shots in less than one minute after Dexter Reed appeared to have shot first during a fatal traffic stop in Humboldt Park last month, according to police oversight officials.

The Civilian Office of Police Accountability, or COPA, on Tuesday released body camera footage showing the fatal shooting of Reed by Chicago police officers during a March 21 traffic stop in the 3800 block of West Ferdinand Street. Reed had been pulled over for purportedly not wearing a seatbelt.

COPA in a statement said preliminary evidence “appears to confirm” that Reed fired first before officers responded by firing 96 shots in a matter 41 seconds. The agency has recommended to CPD Superintendent Larry Snelling that four of the officers involved be relieved of their police powers during the investigation.

Mayor Brandon Johnson called the footage of Reed's death “deeply disturbing” in a hastily scheduled appearance at City Hall, where he was flanked by Andrea Kersten, the head of COPA, and Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx.

“I'm personally devastated to see yet another young Black man lose his life during an interaction with the police,” Johnson said, adding that shooting a police officer could never be condoned or excused.

Johnson said he spoke with members of Reed's family in the days before the video was released and visited the wounded officer.

“Both Dexter Reed and this officer could have been my students,” said Johnson, who taught civics at Westinghouse College Prep, where Reed went to high school and was a basketball standout.

Johnson said the officer who was shot came close to dying.

“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.

Foxx said her office was in the early stages of investigating the shooting, and pleaded for enough time to complete a thorough investigation.

“We ask for your patience and trust,” Foxx said.

https://news.wttw.com/2024/04/09/4-chicago-police-officers-fired-dexter-reed-96-times-41-seconds-after-he-shot-officer-arm