Victim's Family Upset Over Lack Of Police Video In Fatal Garfield Park Shooting
CHICAGO (CBS) -- 15-year-old Kenwon Parker was shot and killed last month in Garfield Park. His family claims the investigation is missing critical video that should have come from police on the scene.
CBS 2's Vince Gerasole has been digging into the story and reports the family has returned to the field house, frustrated that the video evidence that could have been collected wasn't.
"He not coming through that door no more," cried Keyoner Westbrooks, Kenwon Parker's mother, grieving over the loss of her 15-year-old son. Kenwon Parker was shot to death at a park district's teen basketball game.
Emergency calls and social media posts indicate it was a chaotic scene. Over 50 officers responded on August 16th and hundreds spilled out of the Garfield Park Field House.
In the process, someone began shooting.
"Three fights broke out before the shooting, when do you close it down?" asked Tina Westbrooks, Parker's aunt.
Weeks later, Kenwon Parker's family said they're frustrated. A 13-year-old was taken into custody on a weapon's violation, but a lack of evidence, so far, has kept anyone from being charged with the killing.
"What did police tell you about bodycams on the officers?" CBS 2's Vince Gerasole asked Parker's family.
"They said the body cams was turned off and the ones that was turned on wasn't even in Kenwon's area," Tina Westbrooks responded.
A spokesman from the Chicago Police Department said patrols that night included CPD officers working park district security that were not required to have body cameras and responding officers who are required to have cameras.
Though the park district and CPD say the building's security cameras were operating, detectives told the family otherwise.
"Detectives told us Garfield Park had no working cameras," Westbrooks said.
For nearly 20 years, park district employees have sponsored evening basketball programs under the dome of the field house. Kenwon's relatives question if enough was done to keep another family from feeling their same pain.
"What is going on? This is the park district. They supposed to have the right credentials to run this park," Tina Westbrooks said.
"There is too much going on out here in this world for there not to be safety for these kids," said Keyoner Westbrooks.
The family is working beyond their own grief to help keep others safe, protesting outside of the Garfield Park Field House Wednesday night.
According to park district officials, there are not any security cameras on the exterior of the field house or the surrounding streets. Kenwon's family is demanding security cameras get installed, as well as demanding justice for their son.
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