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COPA letter reveals one officer fired at least 50 times during Dexter Reed shooting
COPA requested officer's police powers be removed "immediately," letter says
by: Julian Crews, Eli Ong
Posted: Apr 10, 2024 / 03:53 PM CDT
Updated: Apr 10, 2024 / 04:25 PM CDT
CHICAGO — New questions are being raised about the validity of a deadly police traffic stop that led to the death of 26-year-old Dexter Reed and a Chicago police officer being shot in the wrist.
An internal letter from the Civilian Office of Police Accountability to Chicago Police Department superintendent Larry Snelling was obtained by WGN News Wednesday, revealing one officer fired at least 50 times.
Acquired through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request, the letter revealed how COPA administrators are focused in on the conduct of one specific tactical officer who fired more than four dozen shots in the exchange, including the final three shots as Reed laid motionless and unarmed on the pavement.
COPA administrator Andrea Kersten addressed concerns about the stated reason for the traffic stop — an observed seatbelt violation, according to police.
“The available evidence calls into question the veracity of this account,“ Kersten wrote.
“COPA is uncertain how the officers could have seen this seat belt violation given their location relative to [Reed’s] vehicle.”
Reed’s name was redacted from the report since he was publicly revealed as the man who was killed in the shooting.
“And the dark tints on [Reed’s] vehicle windows,” Kersten continued. “This evidence raises serious concerns about the validity of the traffic stop that led to the officer’s encounter with [Reed].”
Other concerns in the letter to Snelling raised questions about the proportionality of the police response.
Although COPA said Reed fired first, 96 shots were fired from CPD’s tactical unit.
While it is not clear how many shots Reed fired, though one WGN Investigates source said around ten shell casings were found in his vehicle after the shooting and his gun was emptied of ammunition.
“The evidence recovered in the aftermath of this incident
indicates all four officers discharged their firearms at Reed AFTER he exited his vehicle and was unarmed,” Kersten wrote.
The identities of all five CPD officers involved, including the officer who was shot in the wrist, were revealed in the internal document. WGN News is not including their names because they have not been formally charged with a crime.
As for the officer who Kersten wrote “fired at least 50 times,” COPA requested they be relieved of their police powers immediately, based on what Kersten described as the safety risk posed by his conduct during this incident.
COPA further stated it has grave concerns about that specific officer’s ability to assess what is a necessary, reasonable and a proportional use of deadly force.
CHICAGO — New questions are being raised about the validity of a deadly police traffic stop that led to the death of 26-year-old Dexter Reed and a Chicago police officer being shot in the wrist. An…
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