By Joanna Putman
Police1
CHICAGO — Body camera footage released by Chicago’s Civilian Office of Police Accountability (COPA) shows a suspect attacking and repeatedly stabbing another man before officers intervened, fatally shooting the attacker, WTTW reported.
COPA released video footage on July 2 showing the May 27 shooting, according to the report. The incident occurred after an altercation ensued in the middle of an intersection as CPD officers happened upon the scene.
According to a preliminary statement from the Chicago Police Department (CPD), officers were on routine patrol around when they saw a suspect attempting to stab another man in the street, according to the report. COPA stated that the incident began when two officers were flagged down and saw a suspect attacking another individual with an “unknown weapon.”
“The officers exited their vehicle and gave verbal commands to the individual to drop their weapon,” COPA said. “The individual failed to comply with the officers’ commands, resulting in both officers discharging their firearms, striking both the individual and victim.”
Body camera footage from the two officers who opened fire shows the suspect ignoring commands to “put the gun down” as he repeatedly lunged at the second man, who was on the ground. One officer fired two shots before a second officer fired approximately 10 more shots, bringing the suspect to the ground, according to the report. The suspect was killed in the shooting, while the second man was hospitalized in critical condition.
The video shows officers applying tourniquets to both the suspect and the other man and attempting life-saving measures. One officer kneeled beside the unresponsive second man, repeatedly urging him to “stay with us.”