By Police1 Staff
CHICAGO — An officer who wounded two teenagers when he opened fire on a stolen vehicle in 2013 was found guilty Monday of federal civil rights charges.
Marco Proano, 42, allegedly fired several shots into the stolen car as it backed up after police stopped the car for speeding, WLS reported. Two teenagers were wounded in the shooting and Proano was charged in 2016 with federal civil rights violations for using unreasonable force and causing bodily injury.
A defense attorney said during the trial that Proano made a split second decision when he opened fire. Dash cam video shows the stolen car reversing and then driving away from officers.
Proano arrived on the scene after two other officers came across the car full of at least six teenagers, the Chicago Sun-Times reported. The driver fled before Proano arrived, and as he approached the scene, Proano saw the car suddenly reverse with one teen hanging out a window. Another person jumped from the backseat, put the car in reverse and pushed the gas pedal with his hands.
Proano is seen in dash camera footage stepping forward with his gun drawn as the vehicle reverses. He steps back then forward again and he opens fire. Assistant U.S. Attorney Georgia Alexakis said Proano fired 16 shots. A police statement released to the Associated Press at the time of the shooting said the officer opened fire out of fear that the “occupants who had been in the vehicle were in a position to sustain great bodily harm.”
The jury found Proano guilty after less than four hours of deliberation, the Chicago Sun-Times reported. He faces up to 20 years in prison, 10 years for each civil rights violation.
Fraternal Order of Police President Kevin Graham said in a statement that they were “disappointed in the jury’s verdict.”
“The pressure on the police is making the job extremely difficult,” Graham said. “It seems that the criminal elements in our society are not accountable in our justice system, while the police face an intense scrutiny for every split second decision they make. We will meet with our legal advisers to consider the next steps.”