Chicago Police

Robbery Suspect Fatally Shot by Chicago Police Officer

The robbery suspect shot by police Saturday afternoon refused to drop a knife and charged toward officers, officials said

NBCUniversal, Inc.

A robbery suspect was shot and killed by Chicago police officers during a confrontation Saturday afternoon on the city's Far Southeast Side, officials said.

At approximately 3:15 p.m., officers responded to a robbery in the 2600 block of East 79th Street, and with the help of witnesses, located a potential suspect who was armed with a large knife, police said.

Chicago police said officers approached the suspect, and demanded that he drop the weapon. However, he launched toward the officers.

Officers echoed the demands a second time, but the suspect moved forward again, at which point, one of the officers deployed their taser twice, according to Chicago Police Department Chief of Patrol Fred Waller.

Waller said the taser "had no effect" on the offender, and as a result, a second officer shot the suspect, striking him twice in the upper chest/torso area.

Eric Russell, a community activist who witnessed the shooting, disputed the account, saying the suspect was clearly "affected, and fading from the taser."

"The officer who deployed her taser, she didn't appear to be in danger," the community activist claimed. "This officer... who arrived on the scene, and didn't readily assess the situation, and began shooting...At that time, we began taping, and the crowds began to gather."

The unidentified man was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center where he was pronounced dead.

When asked about the community activist's account of the situation, Deputy Chief Waller called it inaccurate.

"He [the suspect] continued to advance, and only when he came approximately 3 to 4 feet from the officer, and the taser had no effect on him, he was fired upon," Waller reiterated.

Russell acknowledged the person in question was known to the community, and experienced mental health conditions. Police said the suspect was wanted for robbery.

Per protocol, the officers involved in the shooting have been placed on administrative duties for 30 days. The incident is also being investigated by Chicago's Civilian Office of Police Accountability.

All of the body cameras of the officers involved were working at the time of the incident, officials said.

Contact Us