Body Cam Shows Chicago Police Officer Shooting a Man in the Back
Maurice Granton's family says the video shows that the shooting was unjustified.
Body camera from the Chicago Police-involved shooting of a 24-year-old man on the South Side has been released by Chicago's Civilian Office of Police Accountability (COPA).
The video shows Maurice Granton, Jr., running from the police in June. At one point, he reaches for the top of a fence in an attempt to climb it. When he does, an officer shoots him in the back and he falls down to the ground. The officer who shot Granton reportedly tells another officer to "get the weapon." A longer video is available here. (Warning: Video may be disturbing to some viewers.)
Granton was transported to the hospital, where he later died from his wounds.
According to an investigation conducted by ABC 7 Chicago, police took interest in Granton during a drug investigation. A longer video reportedly shows Granton approaching a car and conducting what is believed to be a cash transaction. At one point, police say, Granton brandished a gun on camera. The investigation notes that the video is dark and unclear at the point police say Granton showed his gun. He was shot about half an hour later.
Police in the area reportedly knew of Granton long before the shooting. He was arrested at least eight previous times for charges relating to drugs, robbery, and parole violations.
Andrew Stroth, who is representing Granton's family, condemned the officer's actions in the video. "It shows an unarmed black man running away from police, and police don't have a right to shoot and kill in that situation," he observed. "We continue to have young black men unjustifiably shot by police. When is it going to stop?"
The Chicago Police Department released a statement saying that at least one officer involved was given administrative duties for 30 days following the incident and that an investigation was under way.