COPA Releases Materials In 3 Incidents Where Off-Duty Officers Fired Weapons; One Video Shows Shirtless Officer Firing At Burglary Suspects
CHICAGO (CBS) -- The Civilian Office of Police Accountability on Monday released materials from three incidents from recent months in which off-duty Chicago Police officers fired their weapons, but did not strike anyone.
In one of the incidents, the off-duty officer is seen shirtless as he fires at two suspected burglars.
The first incident happened on Aug. 21 in the 2500 block of South Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive. COPA said in that incident, two Chicago Police officers were the victim of an apparent armed carjacking and one of the officers fired a weapon.
Log #2020-3949 3rd Party 2 from COPA Chicago on Vimeo.
The suspected fled in the officer's vehicle, police said. There were no injuries reported and the suspects remained at large Monday night.
Video from nearby businesses showed cars passing under the Stevenson Expressway underpass on King Drive and one car stopping for a length of time, but did not clearly show the gunfire. Video from mounted cameras and a Chicago Transit Authority bus were also released.
In the second incident on Aug. 31, an off-duty Chicago Police officer encountered a burglar. COPA did not specify the address where this happened.
The suspects fled, leading to a chase on foot. The officer fired his gun, but there were no injuries reported.
Video from an alley shows two people rapidly getting into a car, and driving off. The off-duty officer comes out wearing no shirt and possibly only in underwear with his midsection blurred in the video, and fires at the car.
Log #2020-4077 3rd Party 19 from COPA Chicago on Vimeo.
Log #2020-4077 3rd Party 21 from COPA Chicago on Vimeo.
The suspects in that incident also remained at large as of Monday.
In the third incident on Sept. 15, shots were fired from a moving vehicle at an off-duty Chicago Police officer who was traveling in his vehicle near the 700 block of North Noble Street. The officer returned fire at the suspects as they continued to flee, COPA said.
No video was released in that incident – only police reports and Office of Emergency Management and Communications transmissions.
