The father of a man shot and killed by a Chicago police officer in June are demanding that Cook County State's Attorney Anita Alvarez arrest and charge the officer with first-degree murder.
"I want justice for my son's murder. We know that this cop --- I've seen a video which shows him shooting my son while he was laying down, on the ground, defenseless, shooting him three times in the back," Emmett Farmer said at a Wednesday afternoon press event.
Farmer's son, 29-year-old Flint Farmer, was shot in the back by Officer Gildardo Sierra following a domestic disturbance on June 7. The flashes from Sierra's gun were recorded by the dashboard camera of a squad car.
Sierra said he fired because he feared for his life, believing Farmer had a gun, but a published report said Farmer was holding only a cell phone.
The elder Farmer said police have never spoken with him to provide details on the case or offer an apology.
The shooting was Sierra's third in six months and the second fatality in that time, records show. The police department said all the shootings were justified.
"If it had been the other way around, where he had shot and killed a police officer, everybody would have known about it. They would have been trying to give him a hundred something years [in prison] or the death penalty or something. And they haven't even arrested this guy," said Farmer.
UPDATE:
Cook County State's Attorney Anita Alvarez's office said in a statement that it cannot "confirm or deny the existence of any ongoing investigation.
"We would remind the public that the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office actively investigates all referrals of criminal conduct by police officers that we receive from our state and federal investigative partners. State’s Attorney Alvarez has a clear record of aggressively investigating allegations of police misconduct and bringing charges against officers when appropriate."
Get Breaking SMS Alerts: Be the first to know when news breaks, and when weather changes dramatically.
News: Text CHIBREAKING to 622669
Weather: Text CHIWEATHER to 622669
