No Gun Found At Scene Where Police Officer Fatally Shot Man, Top Cop Says
https://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/20161124/west-englewood/police-shoot-man-involved-shootings-gun
Chicago Police Supt. Eddie Johnson said investigators have been unable to find a gun near the scene where a police sergeant shot and killed a man who he said pointed a gun at him during a chase.
"There's still many unanswered questions," Johnson said during a Thursday afternoon press conference. "We are working diligently to find those answers."
Johnson said detectives were trying to find any surveillance video to help piece together what happened late Wednesday in West Englewood, where police have shot and killed two men within the last week.
According to a police statement issued overnight, an Englewood District sergeant responded to a call of a battery in the 1400 block of West 65th Street at 11:07 p.m. and found a man matching the description of the attacker, police said.
The man, who police have not identified, ran away and the sergeant began chasing him, police said.
During the chase, the man turned around and pointed a gun at the sergeant twice, the sergeant told detectives.
The sergeant then shot the man, police said.
The man was taken to an area hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.
Family identified him as 19-year-old Kajuan Raye of south suburban Dolton, according to the Chicago Tribune.
Raye's family disputed the police version of events, according to the Tribune.
"There was no gun," Raye's cousin Ahkeya White told the newspaper.
Around 11 a.m. Thursday, activist Eric Russell canvassed the shooting scene, looking for people who might have witnessed what happened. He's convinced police shot an unarmed man.
"Police don't get to be judge, jury and executioner," Russell said. "Once again we have an unarmed black boy that was executed... Every time they police our community, they police our community with deadly intent. So, once again, we have another dead kid. There was no weapon recovered."
According to the overnight police statement, detectives and internal affairs investigators were searching the shooting scene to try to find any evidence and the man's gun. But that search proved fruitless, Johnson said Thursday afternoon.
"We were not able to locate the weapon as of yet," he said.
After Johnson delivered his statement, Chicago-based activist Ja'Mal Green led a press conference calling for total reform in the Chicago Police Department.
"This is the same narrative being pushed on every situation," said Green, who was indicted in August on nine felony charges after prosecutors said he attacked multiple police officers at a protest. "Every situation they're a criminal. Every situation they have a gun. But now we've got them where we want them. ... In this situation, they said he had a gun, yet they can't recover a gun."
Green said the sergeant must be punished, claiming it's not the first time he has fired a weapon while on duty.
"This is not his first time shooting someone," Green said. "He needs to be stripped of his police powers immediately. That is what we're calling for... Why is he still on the streets? And why does he have the rank of a sergeant?"
The sergeant, who was not injured, will be placed on administrative leave for 30 days while the Independent Police Review Authority investigates the case.
IPRA officials were not immediately available for comment Thursday.
Ald. Raymond Lopez (15th) called on the community to "join me in withholding judgment until all the facts are presented by IPRA."
"We are all undoubtedly angered and frustrated by the events of last night," Lopez said. "Together we will address those facts as a community, with police, residents and leaders all at the table. We can and must move forward together."
The incident marked the second time in less than a week that police shot and killed a man in West Englewood. On Friday, police fatally shot 26-year-old Darius Jones after they saw him shoot another man, police said.