Chicago Police Board Members Din't Review Key Evidence In Autistic Teen

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Chicago Police Board Members Accused Of Not Reviewing Key Evidence In Unarmed Shooting Of Autistic Teen

More details are being released surrounding the nonfatal shooting of an unarmed autistic teen in Chicago. Back in 2017 Sgt. Khalil Muhammad was off-duty when he shot Ricardo “Ricky” Hayes. Following that the sergeant was suspended for 180 days but remained on the force.

Now a new report is suggesting that Chicago police board members didn’t review key evidence before making that decision.

WBEZ reports that the Civilian Office of Police Accountability (COPA) investigated the shooting of Hayes who Sgt. Muhammad allegedly thought might be tied to recent car break-ins. Sgt. Muhammad claimed that he saw the teen standing by a neighbor’s vehicle and questioned him while identifying himself as police. Later a foot race ensued and Muhammad fired two rounds and hit the teen. The boy survived but questions ensued.

WBEZ adds that COPA’s investigation ripped Muhammad’s credibility. The summary, which redacted Hayes’s name, found:

• Muhammad did not have probable cause to believe that Hayes “had committed any crime, let alone a violent crime.”
• The sergeant was not “readily identifiable as a law enforcement official.”
• He lacked “an adequate basis to believe that [Hayes] was armed and dangerous.”
• Hayes approached Muhammad’s vehicle only after the sergeant “attempted to engage [the teen] in conversation.”

Since then police board members have reportedly refused to explain why they decided against firing Muhammad despite finding that his use of deadly force was unjustified and WBEZ reports that they’ve declined from answering questions.

There’s lots more to unpack here but something seems amiss.

Read the story in full HERE.