COPA recommends Chicago Police officer be fired for shooting, killing domestic violence victim
CHICAGO (CBS) -- The Civilian Office of Police Accountability on Thursday recommended the firing of a Chicago Police officer who shot and killed a domestic violence victim after he called for help in 2021.
At a Chicago Police Board meeting Thursday night, COPA recommended that Officer Alberto Covarrubias be fired for the shooting that killed Michael Craig.
Craig, 61 – who lived and worked as a custodian in a building in the 7700 block of South Carpenter Street in Auburn Gresham – called 911 for help on Oct. 4, 2021, saying his wife was threatening him with a knife.
"My wife's got a knife on me on the bed right now. On my throat," Craig said during that call.
A request for Police Board review from COPA indicated that both Craig himself and a neighbor had called 911 to report the assault, and Craig's 7-year-old son had knocked on the neighbor's door beforehand – with the boy saying his mother had a knife.
Craig's young son also told Covarrubias and his partner that his "mommy" had a knife, and his father had told him to call 911, according to COPA and other sources.
As the officers entered the building, Craig could be heard saying, "She's got a butcher knife to my neck," COPA reported.
But despite being warned at least four times that Craig was the victim before arriving at the apartment, Covarrubias shot and killed Craig upon entering the apartment as the couple struggled over the knife.
Within seconds of entering the apartment, body camera footage shows officer Covarrubias drawing a Taser and a gun. He shot Craig twice, killing him.
Covarrubias said he thought Craig was the one with the knife was stabbing Willis – and thus, the officer shot and killed Craig, the report said. Willis suffered no injuries in the incident, but an autopsy found Craig had incise wounds to his arms, head, and back – in addition to the police gunshots that killed him, COPA reported.
Michael Oppenheimer, the attorney for Craig's family, has said Craig had already been stabbed by his wife, Tiffany Willis, several times before police arrived. Willis was later charged with aggravated battery.
In addition to shooting Craig in violation of CPD policy, COPA also recommended that Covarrubias should be fired for failing to render medical aid to Craig.
At a Police Board meeting Thursday night, COPA Chief Administrator Andrea Kersten recommended Covarrubias be terminated. A Police Board member said former Interim police Supt. Fred Waller disagreed.
"The superintendent did not agree that the officer used deadly force in violation of department policy, and proposed that he be suspended for 90 days," said Chicago Police Board member Aja Carr-Favors.
Police emphasized that it was Waller, not current CPD Supt. Larry Snelling, who issued the contrary recommendation.
"There were many aspects of the department directives that weren't followed here, and that is what the disagreement between the superintendent and COPA is about," Kersten told CBS 2.
Craig's son, Patrick Jenkins, spoke publicly following the superintendent's recommendation that Officer Covarrubias be suspended rather than fired – a position with which Jenkins said he "totally" disagreed.
"Ninety-day suspension? He's been working two-plus years," Jenkins told the board. "That officer didn't take the time to realize there were human beings on the other side of that wall - and he shot him - not once, but twice."
Attorney Oppenheimer called the shooting of Craig an execution.
"He executed a victim of domestic violence - when, as Patrick said, all evidence; phone calls indicated that Michael craig was the victim, as he was being stabbed by his wife," said Oppenheimer. "I hope and pray that the Police Board will do the right thing."
Members of the Police Board said they believe a full hearing should take place.
The full COPA report outlining the recommendation to fire Covarrubias had not yet been released Thursday night.
In December, the City Council approved an $8.75 million settlement with Craig's family – during a hearing in which aldermen seemed genuinely stunned about the details of the case.
The settlement stemmed from a federal lawsuit claiming Covarrubias and his partner were informed at least four different times that Craig was the victim of domestic violence when they entered his home.
At an earlier Finance Committee hearing on the settlement, city attorneys confirmed police officers responding to the call knew that the report was for a woman threatening a man with a knife, but ended up shooting Craig anyway.
"So they knew the situation and went in shooting?" an incredulous Ald. Jeanette Taylor (20th) asked at the hearing. "Is that why we're paying 8 million dollars?"
Ald. Daniel La Spata (1st) said at the December hearing that he was "deeply angry about this case" as city attorneys confirmed the second shot was fired while Craig was on the ground.
The Finance Committee and full City Council both unanimously approved the $8.75 million settlement.
Officer Covarrubias and his partner who responded to the incident are still members of the Chicago Police Department. The disciplinary case will now be heard before the entire Police Board.