Man Arrested For Murder Shortly After Announcing Lawsuit Over Police Shooting
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A Chicago man filed a $15 million federal lawsuit against the city and the police officer who shot him several times in 2014, only to be arrested and charged with murder within minutes of announcing the complaint.
Dominiq Greer, now 25, held a press conference downtown Wednesday morning to announce the lawsuit, in which he claims police had no justification to shoot him seven times on July 4, 2014. Shortly afterward, Greer was taken into custody. Police later said he was arrested on a murder warrant for a killing that occurred on May 27 inside an apartment in the 5600 block of South Wabash Avenue.
At the news conference, Greer's attorneys released surveillance video from his 2014 run-in with police. Greer acknowledged he was armed with a handgun when police stopped him for questioning that night. He said he ran away because he was afraid of the police, and threw the handgun away before police shot him.
On the video, Greer can be seen running away from police officers with a gun in his hand just before dawn. He appears to throw the weapon away, but trips and falls.
Police have said his weapon fired when it hit the ground. That's when Officer Lawrence Cosban shot Greer three times.
Greer, a Social Security Administration janitor, can be seen getting up and trying to run away, but that's when his attorney says Cosban shot him four more times. Greer is at the top of the screen in the shadows when he's hit the final four times.
Attorney Eugene Hollander said Greer spent the next eight days in the hospital, and the next seven months in jail.
Greer and his attorney said the shooting was entirely unwarranted.
"The most egregious part is all of it. From the chase in the alley, to shooting him three times when he's on the ground, to shooting four more times when he reaches the T in the alley; and the last shots is when Cosman was about eight feet away from Mr. Greer. Eight feet away, he fires his service revolver at him. So when you ask me what's the most egregious thing, it is not one thing, it is all of it combined," Hollander said.
Police initially charged Greer with attempted murder of a peace officer, but the charge later was dropped. He still faces a charge of unlawful use of a weapon.
Greer said he suffered lifelong debilitating injuries, and that's why he's suing Cosban and the city.
"They should have did their job and tried to catch me, instead of shooting me. If I ain't never bring no harm to you, why'd you bring harm to me?" Greer said.
The Independent Police Review Authority and the mayor's office did not immediately respond to requests for comment about the lawsuit.
Hollander's office declined to comment on Greer's arrest.
