Chicago Police Firearm Use Down Since Last Year: Report

“This would suggest that our officers are choosing to utilize less than lethal means in order to resolve potential force situations,” the report states.

A new report indicates Chicago Police used their firearms half as many times in August as they did a year ago.

The study, generated by Chicago Police but posted today by the Chicago Inspector General, shows 9 incidents where guns were used, with a total of 25 shots fired. Three of the incidents involved animals, and one was classified as accidental.
 
“This would suggest that our officers are choosing to utilize less than lethal means in order to resolve potential force situations,” the report states.

Read: Chicago Police Department Force Analysis Report

Fifteen of the 25 shots fired in August were at a single incident, as officers returned fire on a carjacking suspect who videos showed fired first on police. One officer in that incident suffered a graze wound to the head.
 
Today’s report shows that during the same period where firearm use was down, there was a 58 percent increase in the use of Tasers, which are considered non-lethal weapons. Tasers were used 68 times during the month of August, compared with 43 times a year ago.
 
Chemical spray continues to be the least used weapon in the Chicago Police arsenal, with a 56 percent decrease in its use from August of 2015.

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