A woman and her 14-year-old son who were initially charged with murder in the fatal shooting of a man at a Chicago fast food restaurant earlier this month plan to file a lawsuit after attorneys say she was wrongfully charged.
"On June 21, 2023, Carlishia Hood was arrested by the Chicago Police Department under wrongful charges of First-Degree Murder, charges for which Carlishia Hood is innocent and that have since been dismissed," a press release from Hood's lawyers says. The release adds that Hood at 9 a.m. Tuesday will speak out for the first time since the incident.
"These charges have caused great harm to Ms. Hood, her family and her family’s reputation," the release continues. "Ms. Hood is and has always been a victim."
Monday, The Cook County State's Attorney's office said it reviewed the case against Carlishia Hood and her 14-year-old son and, "in light of emerging evidence," moved to dismiss charges against both.
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"Based upon the facts, evidence, and the law we are unable to meet our burden of proof in the prosecution of these cases," a statement from the office read.
The statement comes three days after community activist and former Chicago mayoral candidate Ja'mal Green posted a now-viral video to social media showing previously unseen cell phone video that captured what led up to the deadly shooting.
During a press conference Monday, Green said people chimed in from all over the country, "because it was framed differently at first."
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"We have got to stop allowing this violent behavior in our neighborhoods, period," Green said. "There should never be any case where anyone is putting their hands on someone and acting violently in an establishment in any neighborhood and we should step up and say 'enough is enough."
"It had to be a 14-year-old boy to save his mother," Green continued. "Where are we as a community if situations like this can happen and a woman can be severely attacked and no one does anything? But, in this case, this young boy did what we felt was right and I believe that the decision by the state’s attorney today was correct."
What police say happened
Hood, 35, and her teen son were facing murder charges following the incident, which took place at a Maxwell Street Express on the city's Southwest Side earlier this month.
Police had said Hood was in an argument with 32-year-old Jeremy Brown while waiting in line for food at the restaurant, located at 11656 S. Halsted St. Hood then reportedly texted her son and had him come to the restaurant as the argument turned physical.
Officials alleged Brown punched Hood in the head and Hood's son took out a gun, shooting Brown in the back, the Chicago Sun-Times reported.
The teen continued shooting as Brown ran from the store, with both the teen and his mother following Brown into the parking lot.
Prosecutors reportedly said Hood told her son to keep shooting Brown and kill him.
After the teen stopped shooting at Brown, his mother allegedly told him to shoot Brown's girlfriend, who authorities said encouraged Brown during the earlier altercation. Prosecutors also reportedly said Hood tried to grab the gun herself before her son shoved her off and the two fled the scene.
Brown ultimately died from his injuries, police said.
The scene was captured on surveillance video, which was released by police and showed Hood ordering food and her son opening fire both in the restaurant and the parking lot before the pair left the scene. Additional footage from inside the restaurant circulating on social media however shows Brown repeatedly striking Hood prior to the shooting
"If you say one more thing, I'm going to knock you out," Brown says in the video before striking Hood.
The footage ended with what sounded like a gunshot as Brown continued punching Hood.
Hood and her son surrendered to police on Wednesday and were arrested by authorities, Chicago police said.
They were both charged with first-degree murder and Hood faced an additional charge of contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
Prosecutors said Hood, who had no criminal background, also had a valid firearm owners identification card and a permit to carry a concealed weapon.
