US: Chicago police release videos of fatal car chase

By Michael Hernandez

WASHINGTON (AA) – The Chicago Police Department on Friday released videos of before and after an officer-involved shooting following a chaotic car chase, but not the shooting itself.

One of the videos from a body camera worn by an officer shows police in pursuit of a reportedly stolen vehicle.

After a right turn, the black Jaguar, which was allegedly being driven by 18-year-old Paul O’Neal attempts to speed by the police car sideswiping it and almost striking another officer, at which point police open fire.

The car then crashes into another police vehicle on the residential road. O’Neal jumps out of the car and attempts to flee, running through a nearby driveway.

Police give chase, but O’Neal is able to outpace the officers, jumping over a gate and then out of frame. One officer is boosted over, but the officer wearing the body camera goes around after apparently being unable to make the jump.

At least five shots are heard off-camera, but it’s unclear who is doing the firing during the fatal July 18 confrontation.

O’Neal is next seen on a nearby backyard stoop, surrounded by officers with a bloodied shirt and limp arms as officers cuff him.

Around that time, one of the police officers can be heard angrily yelling what sounds like “[don’t] you f**king shoot at us” when O’Neal is being taken into custody. It’s unclear if O’Neal actually fired a shot.

The police themselves appear confused as to whether or not O’Neal fired at them, and one says “Bullets were f**cking whizzing by me. I don’t know if it was the police or what.”

An officer who was part of the initial confrontation then adds: “He almost hit my partner so I f**cking shot at him.”

No weapon was recovered at the scene.

Police reportedly said the fatal shots were not recorded because the officer who fired did not have the body camera on at the time.

That’s likely because he was unfamiliar with the camera, according to police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi, The Associated Press reported.

"We don't believe there was any intentional misconduct with body cameras," Guglielmi said.

Three officers have reportedly been relieved of their duties because of a preliminary determination that they violated an unspecified department policy.