For Sheila Banks, the late afternoon of March 21 began simply with her son Dexter Reed leaving to enjoy his new SUV. “Momma, I’m going out for a ride,” she recalled on Tuesday.
Chicago police officers shot Reed, 26, to death on a residential corner in less than a minute, according to the Civilian Office of Police Accountability (COPA), the city’s police watchdog body.
Cops claimed they pulled Reed over for not wearing a seatbelt, a claim that COPA doubts given the mounting tension in recent weeks over the shooting and cops’ use of deadly force.
In releasing footage of the shooting on Tuesday, the police accountability board stated that Reed “appears” to have fired first. However, the family’s counsel stated that a more thorough examination is necessary. They also argue the traffic stop was unlawful, and it is not the first time Chicago authorities have fraudulently claimed seatbelt infractions as the reason for confrontational driver pullovers.
Last but not least, they asserted on Tuesday that Reed’s death occurred while he was unarmed and trying to surrender.
“If you watch the end of the video, you see an officer, military-style, executing Dexter while he lay by his vehicle, unarmed and helpless,” said Andrew M. Stroth, a prominent local civil rights attorney who represents Reed’s family.
City authorities, including Mayor Brandon Johnson and State’s Attorney Kim Foxx, have expressed sadness over Reed’s death but have not suggested that charges be filed against the cops.
The incident is the most recent in a community with a long history of outrage over police killings of men of color.
96 shots fired in 41 seconds
On the evening of March 21, a shooting occurred when Reed was pulled over by five plainclothes officers in an unmarked car at a residential corner on Chicago’s West Side.
However, Reed chooses not to roll down any other windows or unlock his doors, which only serves to escalate the situation.
Reed started shooting, according to officials, and managed to hit one of the officers. However, it is unclear from the bodycam footage which party fired the first shot.
Reed’s possession of a gun remains a mystery. Court records from Cook County indicate that he was awaiting trial for a gun-related offense.
According to officials, the officer who was shot in the arm during the exchange of gunfire is in good condition.
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‘Grave concerns’ from Chicago’s police watchdog
According to Kersten, this evidence brings up significant concerns regarding the legitimacy of the traffic stop that initiated the officers’ encounter.
According to Reed, the officers’ reaction to the reported gunshots raises concerns about the extent to which they used lethal force.
According to Kersten, the evidence collected following the incident suggests that all four officers fired their guns at Reed even though he had already left his vehicle and was not armed.
She specifically criticizes one officer for shooting at Reed a minimum of 50 times, even while he was lying motionless.
According to Kersten, the board is deeply concerned about the officers’ capability to evaluate when the use of deadly force is necessary, reasonable, and proportionate.
‘Pretextual, unconstitutional and unreasonable’
Reed was confirmed to be in possession of a gun, although further investigation is necessary to verify if he fired it first. The lawyers emphasized that the search was initiated under the guise of a pretextual, unconstitutional, and unreasonable approach. This incident serves as yet another illustration of the city’s ongoing failure to comply with a federal mandate to reform its policing practices.
“Dexter’s absence can be attributed to the actions and inactions of the current administration and police chief,” Stroth stated, alluding to the mayor and police superintendent. “How many more lives of Black and Brown men must be lost before this city finally undergoes a transformation?”
In 2019, a federal judge mandated that the city of Chicago implement police reform after a Department of Justice investigation into the 2014 killing of Laquan McDonald by Officer Jason Van Dyke. This order was a result of the city’s long-standing history of troubled interactions between police officers and civilians.
‘On the hunt’
According to Sheila Bedi, an attorney for Reed’s family, the 2019 federal decree specifically criticized the Chicago Police Department’s utilization of “tactical units.”
According to Bedi, the federal investigators referred to the plainclothes teams in unmarked cars as being “on the hunt.”
According to the Northwestern Law School professor, the “aggressive practices” that were ordered to be stopped by the federal government years ago are still being used today.
“This does not exemplify the principles of community policing; instead, it resembles the actions of an occupying force,” she remarked. She further noted that the federal order was intended to rectify such situations, but it is evident that it has failed in this regard.
The decree also aimed to eliminate traffic stops that were deemed “pretextual,” with Reed’s alleged seat belt violation serving as a prime example.
According to her, the truth is that they are not concerned about the seatbelt. Their real intention is to find a reason to search the vehicle and discover something else.
Mayor calls footage ‘deeply disturbing’
During a separate news conference on Tuesday, the mayor expressed his condolences to the family and described the footage as “deeply disturbing.”
Johnson expressed deep sorrow and distress at witnessing yet another tragic incident where a young Black man loses his life in an encounter with law enforcement.
The shooting took place near the former teacher’s residence on the West Side. He pointed out that Reed, as well as the officer who was also Black, “could have been my students.”
The officers responsible for the shooting will be given a 30-day administrative leave, he mentioned. He also emphasized that the prompt release of the videos, which goes beyond the required 60-day period, demonstrates his administration’s dedication to transparency.
“In an apparent reference to former Mayor Rahm Emmanuel’s actions in delaying the release of the video of McDonald’s death, he emphasized that withholding or delaying information is a mistake of the past.”
Foxx stated that her office is currently investigating to determine if there are grounds for pressing criminal charges.
‘Momma, I’m going for a ride’
Reed’s family and attorneys attended a news conference outside the accountability board’s offices on the city’s Near West Side.
“I’m hurt; I’m sick; I feel like I’ve been shot up; I’m burning up inside,” Banks said in an interview.
She said Reed, an athlete who enjoyed basketball, was the one who checked in on her to ensure she was eating well and exercising. He bought her a Peloton bicycle.
“He was a good kid,” Banks remarked, her voice shaking, “and I don’t understand why they treated him that way. “What’s wrong with the police?”
That last day, he informed her, “Momma, I’m going for a ride,” and they killed him, she recalled.
Banks slumped from grief as she finished speaking. Family members brought her to a chair, where she continued to weep, “They killed him; they killed my son.”
Reed’s family has set up a GoFundMe campaign to raise money for his recent funeral and legal bills.
