Wrongful Death Suit Filed by Chicago Family after Cops Fired 96 Rounds in 41 Seconds Killing 26-year-old Man
Chicago, IL: The family of a Chicago resident who was shot dead by undercover cops filed a wrongful death case against the police department.
The 81-page federal lawsuit says the officers broke several laws and police department rules during the “predatory, violent, and unlawful traffic stop” on March 21 that killed Dexter Reed, 26.
This month, a group that keeps an eye on the police released videos and papers that show Reed firing at the officers first. The video made people wonder about the officer’s use of force and tactical teams that use police cars that don’t have license plates.
People in the community have said that the police officers who killed another young Black guy should be fired right away. The office of the state’s attorney in Cook County is also looking into it. This led to 30 days of administrative leave for the five officers concerned.
The lawsuit says that the police officers at the West Side traffic stop didn’t properly identify themselves as police; they didn’t have a good reason to stop Reed; they made things worse by drawing their guns, blocking his car, and yelling obscene commands; and they didn’t give Reed proper medical care quickly enough while he was lying in the street.
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From what they knew at the time, Reed fired first. According to COPA, the police then shot back 96 times in 41 seconds. A doctor said that Reed was dead.
Chicago police say the officers were part of a district tactical unit. These officers often work in plain clothes and are sent to places with a lot of crime.
According to Reed’s family lawyer, Andrew M. Stroth, he was shot during a “family altercation” in 2021. He was seriously hurt and needed a lot of rehabilitation.
The lawsuit says that after that, he had post-traumatic stress disorder, which made it hard for him “to work, process information, and communicate” and changed how he replied to police.
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According to police records, Reed was also facing felony gun charges from an arrest in July 2023 when he was killed. Stroth wouldn’t talk about the gun charges because he said they had nothing to do with the case.
He said that the family wants to make sure that the police department follows a court-ordered plan for change more closely.
An unarmed Chicago police officer shot and killed a man during a traffic stop on Wednesday. The man’s family filed a wrongful death case against the police department, calling its actions “brutally violent.”
The 81-page federal lawsuit says the officers broke several laws and police department rules during the “predatory, violent, and unlawful traffic stop” on March 21 that killed Dexter Reed, 26.
This month, a group that keeps an eye on the police released videos and papers that show Reed firing at the officers first. The video made people wonder about the officers’ use of force and tactical teams that use police cars that don’t have license plates. People in the community have said that the police officers who killed another young Black guy should be fired right away. The office of the state’s attorney in Cook County is also looking into it. This led to 30 days of administrative leave for the five officers concerned.
The lawsuit says that the police officers at the West Side traffic stop didn’t properly identify themselves as police; they didn’t have a good reason to stop Reed; they made things worse by drawing their guns, blocking his car, and yelling obscene commands; and they didn’t give Reed proper medical care quickly enough while he was lying in the street.
From what they knew at the time, Reed fired first. According to COPA, the police then shot back 96 times in 41 seconds. A doctor said that Reed was dead.
Chicago police say the officers were part of a district tactical unit. These officers often work in plain clothes and are sent to places with a lot of crime.
According to Reed’s family lawyer, Andrew M. Stroth, he was shot during a “family altercation” in 2021. He was seriously hurt and needed a lot of rehabilitation.
The lawsuit says that after that, he had post-traumatic stress disorder, which made it hard for him “to work, process information, and communicate” and changed how he replied to police as per AP News.
According to police records, Reed was also facing felony gun charges from an arrest in July 2023 when he was killed. Stroth wouldn’t talk about the gun charges because he said they had nothing to do with the case.
He said that the family wants to make sure that the police department follows a court-ordered plan for change more closely.
