Chicago police leader: Fire officer who killed unarmed woman
CHICAGO -- The Chicago police superintendent is recommending that an officer who shot and killed an unarmed black woman in 2012 be fired.
A board that reviews allegations of misconduct by Chicago police officers recommended in September that Officer Dante Servin be fired for the shooting of 22-year-old Rekia Boyd. Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy said in a statement Monday night that he agreed with that assessment.
McCarthy said Servin showed "incredibly poor judgment."
Boyd died after one of the five bullets from Servin's handgun pierced her head. Servin said he fired because he felt threatened when he confronted a group at a park.
McCarthy says the charges justifying Servin's firing will be sent Wednesday to the Chicago Police Board, which makes disciplinary decisions, for further action.
In a directed verdict in April, a judge found Servin not guilty of involuntary manslaughter. Cook County Judge Dennis Porter said Servin's actions were "beyond reckless," but added prosecutors did not prove their case, reported CBS Chicago.
"The evidence presented in this case does not support the charges on which the defendant was indicted and tried," Porter said in court, reported the station.
The ruling prompted an emotional outburst from Boyd's family, and at least one relative who was shouting was reportedly restrained by courtroom deputies.
"That's a slap in the face," Martinez Sutton, Boyd's brother, said of the acquittal, which prompted protests in the city.
Cook County State's Attorney Anita Alvarez, whose office brought charges against Servin, said in a statement in April that "justice was denied" for Boyd's family.