Paul O’Neal’s Life Mattered. UPDATED Aug 8

UPDATE: The 3 officers involved in the shooting had their police powers revoked. Police Superintendent did this on the grounds that it appears the officers violated department policy in the shooting of an unarmed suspect. Mayor Rahm Emmanuel supports the decision.

The released videos from the shooting of Paul O’Neal are disturbing. They show too many cops on the scene, too many shots fired, mass chaos and confusion. 

Chicago use of force policy prohibits officers from shooting into a car if there is no weapon present. I counted at least 10 shots fired at the red Jaguar as it drove on a residential street.

I saw an officer pointing to her body cam several times to remind another cop that they were being recorded. I saw the cop who claimed his was the shot that killed O’Neal get all pissed off because he’d “be on a desk for 30 goddamn days now”

I saw an officer stomp on the back of O’Neal after he was most likely already dead. I saw an officer who fired his gun because he heard shots being fired. He didn’t know if the suspects were armed or not.

You can see all the footage from police body and dash cams at the Independent Police review Authority here