Paul O’Neal Police Shooting Protests in 7 Photos

By Kenrya Rankin Aug 08, 2016

On Friday (August 5), the Independent Police Review Authority (IPRA) released footage of what happened before and after Chicago Police Department officers shot and killed 18-year-old Paul O’Neal on July 28.

Starting on Friday and throughout the weekend, protesters collectively questioned why there is no body camera footage of the actual shooting of the unarmed Black teen, why a car was seemingly deemed more valuable that a Black teenager’s life and whether officers would be held accountable for his death. Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s Police Accountability Task Force labeled the IPRA “badly broken” in its May 2016 report on the state of the city’s policing.

Per the Chicago Tribune, O’Neal was driving a Jaguar that police say was reported stolen. The nine released videos show officers firing at the vehicle and their reactions after shooting the teen in the back, which included a high five, a lament that “I’m going to be on the desk for 30 goddamn days now” and an instruction to make sure the body cameras were turned off. The three officers who shot at O’Neal have been suspended; their names have not yet been released.

The actions started with the interruption of police superintendent Eddie Johnson’s press conference on Friday, which you can watch here. And 17-year-old activist Lamon Record lead another protest at police headquarters later that day. Protesters continued to rebuke the system under which officers shooting unarmed suspects is a common occurance. Below, see seven important scenes from the weekend’s actions.

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