Lawyer alleges a cover-up after seeing 'horrific' video in police shooting of black teen
The lawyer for a black teen shot and killed by Chicago police last month said a partial video of the incident released today is “one of the most horrific things I have seen.”
Lawyer Michael Oppenheimer spoke on Friday about the video in the fatal police shooting of 18-year-old Paul O’Neal. Oppenheimer said the video portrayed “the execution” of O’Neal, though it didn’t show the fatal shots being fired. “I can only imagine what that body cam footage would have shown,” Oppenheimer said. “The cover-up has begun.” The Chicago Tribune, WGN, the New York Times, DNAInfo and CNN have stories.
Some of the videos are from a squad car dashcam and bodycams of two officers in the car. O’Neal died from a gunshot wound to the back.
The video shows the police response to a suspect in a Jaguar stolen in a Chicago suburb. The car swerves toward an officer, and the officer’s partner fires shots, according to DNAInfo. The Jaguar crashes into a police car and O’Neal leaves the car on foot, according to the police account summarized in the Tribune. An officer shoots O’Neal behind a home, but that was not captured on video, even though the officer was wearing a body camera. Police have said the camera wasn’t working. Video later shows police handcuffing O’Neal’s wounded body.
The family was so distraught that they did not appear at the news conference, Oppenheimer said.
Sharon Fairley, chief administrator of Chicago’s Independent Police Review Authority, said the video is “shocking and disturbing.” She promised a “swift but fair” investigation.
Three officers were relieved of their duties after the shooting. Chicago police warned in a bulletin and a conference call of possible civil unrest after release of the video, according to CNN.
