South Side Police-Involved Shooting Leads To Protests
CHICAGO (CBS)—Less than 24 hours after a fatal police-involved shooting on Chicago's South Side, authorities released body cam video of the incident.
The body cam video shows several officers attempting to question 37-year-old Harith Augustus. At one point one officer grabs his arm. Augustus spins away and runs into the street, where he reaches for a gun from his waistband.
He is then shot by one of the officers.
Police Supt. Eddie Johnson ordered the release of the video, noting this was the quickest police have ever made footage from a fatal officer-involved shooting available.
He said the officer who shot Augustus has been on the force for about two years. He would not comment on whether the shooting was justified, and urged people to watch the video.
"The community needs some answers and they need them now," he told reporters Sunday, explaining his decision to release the video quickly. "We can't have another night like last night."
Community activists protested the shooting Saturday and Sunday, clashing with police officers at times. They held signs calling for the abolishment of the police department and accused police of being racist.
"We're pissed off; we're tired," community activist William Calloway said on Sunday the day after the shooting and standoff with officers. "You're killing us!"
Supt. Johnson didn't comment on whether the shooting was justified, but urged protestors to watch the footage, CBS 2's Mike Puccinelli reports.
Police say 37-year-old Harith Augustus was grabbing for his gun when he was shot by an officer.
