A federal judge ruled Thursday that video footage of a fatal Chicagopolice shooting of a black teenager in 2013 can be released,as protesters renewed criticism of Mayor Rahm Emanuel for the handling of police killings.Images from neighborhood surveillance cameras showing the killing of Cedrick Chatman, 17, in January 2013 had been sealed under a protective order.One video, shown on the DNAinfo.Chicago website before the city's official release, shows two officers chasing Chatman, Chatman running around a corner, one officer drawing his gun, and then Chatman on the ground, all within 10 seconds.Federal judge Robert W. Gettleman said he was "disturbed" by how Chicago officials tried to keep the footage suppressed, NBC Chicago reported. "The city of Chicago has had not only the last month and a half, they've had over 2 1/2 years to be transparent in this case and surely you are going to see what actually happened on Jan. 7, 2013," said Brian Coffman, an attorney for the Chatman family, according to NBC Chicago."You're going to see a young kid running away from police in broad daylight and he is shot and killed."Last month, a US magistrate judge called the footage of Chatman's shooting "inflammatory" as he ruled it should stay under a protective order because it could "taint the jury pool," per NBC Chicago.Police said Chatman pointed a dark object at them prior to the shooting. The footage doesn't clearly show the initial interaction between Chatman and police, but it does show Chatman running around a corner, away from police, before falling to the ground. Police can be seen with their guns drawn.Here's the surveillance camera footage that was just released:Gettleman said at a hearing on Thursday that releasing the Chatmanvideos would not interfere with finding impartial jurors for a civil suit by the teenager's family.Also on Thursday, the Cook County Medical Examiner released autopsy reports in the Dec. 26police shooting of black college student Quintonio LeGrier, 19, and his neighbor Bettie Jones, 55.The reports showed LeGrier was shot six times, including once in the chest and twice in the back. Jones, who police say was shot by accident, was hit once in the chest.The decision to release thevideos comes with Emanuel and thepolicedepartment already under pressure in the 2014 fatalpoliceshootingof 17-year-oldLaquan McDonald.Thevideoof that killing was notreleaseduntil last November.Emanuel fired hispolicechief in December and is seeking a new superintendent for the 12,000-strong force, which has a history of complaints of abuse.Protesters at Thursday's hearing called for Emanuel to take more action to reform thepolicedepartment. For weeks protesters havebeen demanding he step down over his handling ofMcDonald's death. Activists also want State's Attorney Anita Alvarez, who blocked release of thevideo in that casefor a year, to resign.The Justice Department is investigatingChicagopoliceuse of lethal force.Join the conversation about this story
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