He was unarmed, police said
Years-old surveillance footage released Thursday shows Chicago police fatally shooting 17-year-old Cedrick Chatman as he runs away.
Video of the Jan. 2013 incident depicts Chatman dashing from a car at an intersection and disappearing from the camera’s view as Officer Kevin Fry opens fire. When the camera pans to the right, Chatman is seen on the ground. Another grainy surveillance video also released Thursday shows Chatman running and then suddenly falling to the ground.
Chatman was suspected of car theft, police said. Fry told Chicago’s Independent Police Review authority that he believed that Chatman was carrying a handgun, but evidence from the scene later showed that Chatman had been holding a black iPhone box.
Chicago officials asked U.S. District Judge Robert Gettleman to lift the protective order on the video after months of opposing its release, according to the Washington Post.
The video is one of several released over the past year showing Chicago police shooting black men. A video of the killing of Laquan McDonald prompted demonstrations in the city.