COPA releases video, audio in 3 incidents of off-duty officers firing at suspects
COPA released video of an off-duty officer firing at burglars Aug. 31, 2020. | COPA
The incidents happened Sept. 15, Aug. 31 and Aug. 21, COPA said. No injuries were reported in the shootings.
The Civilian Office of Police Accountability released several videos and recordings Monday in connection with three separate instances of off-duty Chicago police officers firing their guns at suspects in recent weeks.
The latest incident happened Sept. 15, when shots were fired from a moving vehicle at an off-duty officer who was traveling in his vehicle near the 700 block of North Noble Street, COPA said. The officer returned fire but no injures were reported.
COPA said there is no video of the incident, and only police reports and transmissions from the Office of Emergency Management and Communications were released.
A couple of weeks earlier, an off-duty officer fired shots at burglars.
On Aug. 31, the officer encountered two people who had broken into a garage. The suspects ran and the officer fired his gun as he chased after the burglars, COPA said. No injuries were reported. COPA did not disclose the location of the shooting.
Video of the incident shows two people rush out of an open garage into an alley and jump inside a dark-colored vehicle. The off-duty officer, who appears shirtless, emerges from the garage and fires a shot at the car as it speeds off.
The third incident happened Aug. 21 on the South Side. Two off-duty officers were carjacked in the 2500 block of South King Drive, COPA said.
One of the officers fired shots at the suspects but did not strike them, COPA said. The carjackers fled in the officer’s vehicle. Video of the incident from a nearby business does not clearly show the gunfire.
COPA, which investigates shootings involving Chicago police officers, is required to release video relevant to an investigation within 60 days of the incident.
“COPA’s investigation into each officer’s use of deadly force is ongoing to determine if the actions are in accordance with department policy and training,” the agency said.