Body cam footage released Tuesday of a traffic stop in Chicago gone horrifically unsuitable is looking into query the official story told by police on the scene. Five plainclothed Chicago police swarmed 26-year-old Dexter Reed’s automobile on March 21, pumping 96 shots into his vehicle after Reed apparently fired at officers. Nevertheless, the officers’ body cam footage tells a really confusing story.
For example, why did it take five plainclothed officers in tactical vests with guns drawn jumping out of an unmarked automobile to swarm a vehicle for a seatbelt violation? Why were officers shouting at Reed right from the beginning? Why did the officers from across the road feel the necessity to empty their weapons after which reload? And did Reed really shoot first? After reviewing the video, it’s unclear each to us and to other news outlets, like CNN. Reed’s family also find your complete situation confusing:
Reed’s uncle Roosevelt Banks said he would panic in that scenario.
“If I used to be in that situation, I could be terrified. I wouldn’t know the right way to … react aside from to guard myself,” Banks said after watching the police footage.
“After he was shot up … you added clips to your gun? That’s nothing but plain murder to me.”
However the president of a Chicago police union, the Fraternal Order of Police Chicago Lodge #7, defended the officers’ response.
“In fact we’ve got a transparent defense of our officers’ actions,” John Catanzara Jr. wrote in an email to CNN.
Frankly, I’d be pretty freaked out too if five people in civilian clothing swarmed my vehicle with guns drawn. Inside the 90-second interaction, 41 seconds are taken up by the hail of gunfire directed at Reed.
Multiple agencies inside the Chicago area answerable for monitoring police actions are investigating the incident.
This Article First Appeared At jalopnik.com
