Bodycam Video Shows Chicago Police's Clash with Knife-Wielding Man

By Annie Sweeney

Source Chicago Tribune

Video was released Tuesday of a Chicago police officer fatally shooting a man who was armed with a knife last month during a domestic disturbance call.

The footage from officer body-worn cameras, along with department reports of the incident, were released by the Civilian Office of Police Accountability a month after Turell Brown, 28, was fatally shot inside an apartment in the 6500 block of South Harvard Avenue in Englewood.

The video depicts two officers arriving at the apartment door and knocking before they walk into the apartment. A woman standing just inside tells them she had been punched in the face and chest and that someone inside the apartment had pulled a knife on her and that she wants him to be removed.

One officer then begins to walk through the apartment and is just about to walk into a second room when he immediately retreats backward to the apartment’s entryway as he draws his gun, the video shows.

Brown then enters the video frame and is visible in the doorway between the two rooms, holding an object in his hand as he appears to be saying something. He also appears to wave what appears to be a knife at the officers, who were then back out in the hallway of the building.

The officers can be seen yelling repeatedly for Brown to drop the object, including telling him to “put that knife down.” Brown then starts inching out into the room along a wall in the direction of the officers with his arms open as the woman remains in the same room.

“Put it down,” the officers continue to yell. “Put it down!”

After a few seconds, one officer opened fire. On the video, Brown turns quickly to go back into the second room. After several seconds he briefly reemerges and is again standing in the doorway before he falls backward. A second officer begins several minutes of chest compressions.

“Stay with me,” the officer says repeatedly.

Brown was later pronounced dead.

COPA released a brief description of the incident Tuesday, along with the videos and documents, and said the investigation into the officer’s use of force was ongoing.

“The officers engaged the suspected individual, who was armed with a knife,” the statement read. “Officers gave verbal commands to drop the knife which resulted in an officer discharging his firearm, fatally striking the individual.”

Video of police shootings are released to the public within 60 days, according to city policy. The officer involved in the shooting was placed on administrative duty, which is routine.

Tribune reporter Stephanie Casanova contributed to this story

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