Last August, 18-year-old Ricardo Hayes' family reported him missing. A couple of hours into his disappearance, the teen, who has autism, was shot by off-duty Sgt. Khalil Muhammad, Aljazeera reports. Video of the incident has only recently been released.
On the morning of August 13, 2017, police were alerted by Haynes' family that he'd gone missing and informed the police that the teen faces developmental challenges, the Guardian reports.
In the video, Haynes' silhouette is seen running into view. Knees high, he moves quickly as a creeping car enters the camera’s view. Haynes stops and watches the car, standing still. The car pulls up beside him, and within seconds, two harsh shots ring out, followed by a scream. The teen tries to run again, but this time his legs teeter beneath him, flailing. Muhammad exits the car, starts after the teen, decides against it and gets back in the vehicle, choosing to continue the pursuit on wheels.
When the shooting, which appeared to take place in a residential neighborhood, occurred, Muhammad claimed the teen had a gun.
“The guy, like, he was about to pull a gun. Walked up to the car, and I had to shoot," the officer told the Chicago Fire Department.
The video disproves his account.
Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson said he intends on questioning Muhammad about the incident, specifically his justification for shooting from inside his car, Slate reports.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has filed a lawsuit on Haynes' behalf.
The video “shows both that there was no justification for the officer to shoot [Hayes] and that initial stories told by the CPD officials about the shooting – that the ‘encounter escalated’ – were false,” Karen Sheley, ACLU’s Illinois director, said in a statement.
According to NBC Chicago, the Chicago police released a statement saying the officer is currently “relieved of police powers pending Civilian Office of Police Accountability investigation.”
View the footage below:
Now, check these out:
Chicago Police Board Rules Cop Was Justified In Shooting And Killing This Unarmed 15-Year-Old
Chicago City Council Agrees On Settlement After Police Held 3-Year-Old Girl At Gunpoint
