INDEPENDENT POLICE REVIEW AUTHORITY
PUBLIC REPORT OF INVESTIGATION
INVESTIGATION
NUMBER:
OFFICER(S)
INVOLVED:

LOG# 1003119 / U# 07-02

“Officer A” (Chicago Police Officer) – Male/Black; 47
years old; Off-duty; In uniform; Year of Appointment 1996

OFFICER
INJURIES:

None reported

SUBJECT(S)
INVOLVED:

“Subject 1” – Male/Black; 19 years old

SUBJECT
INJURIES:

One through-and-through gunshot wound to the right
forearm; Two gunshot wounds to the lower abdomen, one
through-and through; One through-and-through gunshot
wound to the left hip; One through-and-through gunshot
wound to the left armpit. (Fatal)

INITIAL
INCIDENT:

Burglary

DATE/TIME
OF INCIDENT:

30 Jan 07, 0839 hours

LOCATION:

Officer A’s home residence – inside
Beat 614

Page 1 of 8

 INDEPENDENT POLICE REVIEW AUTHORITY
Log# 1003119 / U# 07-02
SUMMARY OF INCIDENT:
On 30 January 2007, at approximately 0830 hours, Officer A returned home from
his second job. Upon arriving, Officer A found the rear glass sliding doors and the
security door open on the back of his residence. Officer A entered his residence and
heard a voice from upstairs state, “Hey G. let’s get this computer.” Officer A walked up
the stairs at which time the subject, Subject 1, confronted him and reached inside his
jacket.
Officer A, in full uniform, announced his office and told Subject 1 to take his
hands out of his jacket and lay on the floor. Subject 1 refused to comply and Officer A
fired one shot striking Subject 1. Subject 1 remained standing and continued to reach
inside his jacket. After repeatedly instructing Subject 1 to remove his hands from his
jacket, Officer A fired again. Subject 1 fled into a bedroom and began reaching in his
pant leg. Officer A, in fear for his life, fired three more times and then called “911” for
assistance. Subject 1 was transported to Christ Hospital by a CFD Ambulance where he
was pronounced dead. A 6-inch knife was recovered inside Subject 1’s jacket pocket.

Page 2 of 8

 INDEPENDENT POLICE REVIEW AUTHORITY
Log# 1003119 / U# 07-02
INVESTIGATION:
Three police officers provided accounts for the Roundtable presentation. Officer
B, related to the Roundtable panel that he responded to a 10-1 call (Officer needs
assistance) at Officer A’s residence. Upon his arrival to the location, he spoke with
Officer A who informed him of the situation and the location of Subject 1. Officer B
went to the second floor of the residence and observed Subject 1 on the floor, going in
and out of consciousness. Officer B waited with Officer A until a supervisor arrived.

A Chicago Police Department Detective related to the Roundtable panel that he
responded to Christ Hospital and spoke with a doctor who informed him that Subject 1
sustained one through-and-through gunshot wound to the left shoulder, one through-andthrough gunshot wound to the right forearm, and one gunshot wound each to the thigh
and buttocks. The doctor pronounced Subject 1 dead at 0955 hours.

Officer A told the Roundtable panel that as he returned to his residence after
working his second job, he observed his rear gate open. As he approached his residence
from the rear, Officer A observed that the rear security gate and the sliding glass doors
had been forced open. As Officer A entered the residence he heard a voice state, “Hey
‘G’ get the computer.” Officer A drew his weapon, went upstairs and replied, “This aint
‘G,’ it’s the police. Show me your hands and get to the floor.”

Page 3 of 8

 INDEPENDENT POLICE REVIEW AUTHORITY
Log# 1003119 / U# 07-02
INVESTIGATION (continued):
Subject 1 refused to comply and reached inside his jacket. Officer A believed that
Subject 1 was reaching for a weapon and fired one round, striking Subject 1. Officer A
then yelled, “Get down,” and again Subject 1 failed to comply and continued to reach
inside his jacket. Officer A, in fear of his safety, fired again. Subject 1 then turned away
from Officer A, walked into a side room, fell to his knees and reached down toward his
left ankle. Officer A yelled, “Let me see your hands!” Officer A then fired again.
Subject 1 stated, “I’m hit.” Officer A then telephoned “911” to report the incident and
request an ambulance.

The Burglary by Forcible Entry Case Report contains an account of the incident
consistent with the summary of the incident.

The Burglary by Forcible Entry Case Supplemental Report indicates that the
unknown offender(s) were sought in this matter; however, there was no additional
information or investigative leads thereby the case was suspended and categorized
“Exceptional Cleared Open.”

The Homicide Case Supplemental Report indicates that when asked to conduct a
walkthrough of the interior and exterior of his residence, Officer A stated that when he
returned home from working secondary employment, he parked his vehicle in front of his
house and walked through the gangway to the rear of his residence because he did not
possess keys to the front door. While walking through his gangway he noticed that the

Page 4 of 8

 INDEPENDENT POLICE REVIEW AUTHORITY
Log# 1003119 / U# 07-02
INVESTIGATION (continued):
rear gate to the alley was left open. Officer A stated that he walked to the rear gate area
and secured it before returning to his rear door. At that time Officer A discovered that his
rear patio door was opened. Further inspection revealed that it and the security door were
damaged. Officer A entered the residence and found the family room in disarray; it
appeared that the home had been ransacked. The remainder of Officer A’s account as
stated in the supplemental report is consistent with the account presented at the
Roundtable.

The Event Queries from the Office of Emergency Management and
Communications indicate that Officer A immediately notified OEMC of his weapon
discharge.

The Evidence Technician photographs depict the scene of the shooting from
various angles.

A 6 inch pocket knife with a 2 ½ inch blade was recovered from Subject 1’s
breast pocket.

The Medical Examiner’s Report indicates that Subject 1 died of multiple gunshot
wounds (five entrance and four exit wounds) and the manner of death was Homicide.
Subject 1 tested negative for narcotics and alcohol.

Page 5 of 8

 INDEPENDENT POLICE REVIEW AUTHORITY
Log# 1003119 / U# 07-02
INVESTIGATION (continued):
The Illinois State Police Laboratory Report indicates that Officer A’s weapon was
examined and test fired with no malfunction reported. The report concluded that five
fired cartridge cases and five recovered bullets recovered from the scene were fired from
Officer A’s weapon.

In an interview with IPRA on 21 February 2008, Officer A stated that he had just
arrived home from his secondary job when he noticed that his two yard gates were open,
the side and rear gates. He then observed that the security and sliding patio doors at the
rear of his residence were open. Upon entering the den of his home, the first room at the
rear entrance of the house, Officer A heard a voice from the second floor of his residence
state, “Hey G, let’s get this computer.”

Officer A stated that he walked upstairs and saw Subject 1 standing in the hallway
near the computer. Officer A stated, “This isn’t G. It’s the police. Get on the floor.”
Subject 1 did not get on the floor, but instead stepped toward Officer A and reached
inside his jacket. Officer A again told Subject 1 to get on the floor, simultaneously
looking around for “G.” Subject 1 again stepped toward Officer A and kept reaching
inside his jacket, so Officer A fired two rounds at Subject 1. Subject 1 did not fall and
continued to look at Officer A. Officer A stated that he was not sure if Subject 1 was
struck because he did not see any blood.

Page 6 of 8

 INDEPENDENT POLICE REVIEW AUTHORITY
Log# 1003119 / U# 07-02
INVESTIGATION (continued):
Officer A stated that he again told Subject 1 to get on the floor but Subject 1
continued looking at him with his arm inside his jacket. Officer A then fired two more
rounds and heard Subject 1 say, “Okay, okay,” as he dove into a playroom. Subject 1
pulled his hand away from his jacket and reached toward his pant leg. At that time
Officer A fired again. Subject 1 yelled, “I’m hit!” and fell to the floor. Officer A stated
that he gave Subject 1 instructions not to move as he called 911.

Officer A stated that he never saw “G” or anyone else in the home. He also stated
that he never saw Subject 1 produce a weapon; however, someone from the CPD Crime
Lab informed him that a knife was recovered inside Subject 1’s jacket pocket.

Page 7 of 8

 INDEPENDENT POLICE REVIEW AUTHORITY
Log# 1003119 / U# 07-02
CONCLUSION AND FINDING:
This investigation found that Officer A’s use of deadly force was in compliance
with Chicago Police Department policy. According to the Chicago Police Department’s
General Order 02-08-03, III:
A. “a sworn member is justified in using force likely to cause death or great
bodily harm only when he or she reasonably believes that such force is
necessary:
1. to prevent death or great bodily harm to the sworn member or to
another person, or;
2. to prevent an arrest from being defeated by resistance or escape and
the sworn member reasonably believes that the person to be arrested:
a. has committed or has attempted to commit a forcible felony
which involved the infliction, threatened infliction, or
threatened use of physical force likely to cause death or great
bodily harm, or;
b. is attempting to escape by use of a deadly weapon, or;
c. otherwise indicates that he or she will endanger human life or
inflict great bodily harm unless arrested without delay.”

Officer A’s actions were in accordance with the conditions of CPD’s deadly force
policy. Officer A was in full uniform when he discovered Subject 1 in his residence.
Officer A shot Subject 1 after Subject 1 disregarded Officer A’s verbal commands and
continued to reach inside his jacket while stepping towards Officer A. Subject 1 then
continued to disregard Officer A’s commands and reach toward his pant leg. Officer A
believed Subject 1 was reaching for a weapon. Officer A also believed that another
subject named “G” was also somewhere in his house. This placed Officer A in imminent
fear of great bodily harm or death from Subject 1.

Page 8 of 8