Four Chicago police officers fired nearly 100 shots in less than a minute at 26-year-old Dexter Reed, who appeared to have fired first, injuring one of them, during a fatal traffic stop last month.
Moreover, bodycam footage shows an officer firing additional shots at Reed after he was slumped on the ground at the rear of his vehicle.
The purported reason for the stop was that he was not wearing a seatbelt.
“My heart breaks for the family of Dexter Reed. They are grieving the loss of a son, a brother and a nephew. I spoke to Dexter’s family this weekend and offered them my deepest condolences. I know there is also a community of friends, teammates, coaches, and neighbors who are mourning his loss as well,” said Mayor Brandon Johnson in a statement.
The Mayor announced that the officers involved have been on a 30-day administrative leave. On Tuesday morning (April 9), the Civilian Office of Police Accountability released over 30 videos of the chilling encounter that took place on a residential street in Humboldt Park.
According to COPA, The incident began on March 21 when Chicago Police officers from the 11th District’s tactical unit conducted a traffic stop of Dexter Reed, Jr. near 3800 W. Ferdinand Street for allegedly not wearing a seatbelt.
During the stop, officers surrounded Reed’s vehicle and issued verbal commands. When Reed failed to comply, officers pointed their firearms at him, leading to an exchange of gunfire.
The footage depicts officers approaching Reed’s White SUV. An officer immediately approaches the driver’s side of the vehicle and tugs on the door handle. She is flanked by another officer as both order Reed to unlock his door.
“Don’t roll the window up!” another officer yells.
At first, the video shows Reed rolling up his window, but it stops halfway. Seconds later, he fired his weapon at officers through the cracked driver’s side window, scattering officers.
According to COPA, Green shot one of them in the left forearm.
“I have also been praying for the full recovery of the officer who was shot during this interaction, and who I visited in the hospital the day of the incident. Thankfully, he is recovering, but if that bullet had hit him a few inches in a different direction, I would be here today talking about the loss of another young Black man,” Johnson said.
After Reed discharged his weapon, four officers returned a barrage of gunfire, approximately 96 times over 41 seconds, said COPA.
At one point during the video, amid a hail of gunfire, Reed’s SUV lunches forward but gets wedged between a police vehicle and the curb. As the police gunfire continues, Reed exits the truck only to fall to the ground.
As he lies face down, more shots are fired at him. He died later at Mt. Sinai Hospital.
In the days after the shooting, Reed was remembered for his love of basketball. He played on the Westinghouse College Prep team from 2013 to 2017.
COPA released video footage from several officers’ body-worn cameras. The footage below is from one of the officers. (WARNING: This video is graphic):
This is a developing story.
To view the videos and reports from COPA’s case log, visit here.
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