Family of Chicago man killed by police wants shooting video released
CHICAGO -- The family of another man fatally shot by Chicago police in 2014 is pressing city officials to release squad car video of the shooting.
Chicago police have said 25-year-old Ronald Johnson of Chicago was fatally shot by an officer on Oct. 12, 2014. At the time, authorities said he was armed and pointed a gun at police.
Johnson's mother, Dorothy Holmes, said Tuesday that wasn't the case and he was running away from police.
The family of Johnson has repeated their demand that the city release dashboard camera video of the shooting, a week after authorities released video of the shooting death of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald, reports CBS Chicago.
Holmes and attorney Michael Oppenheimer have seen a copy of the video because of lawsuits they've filed, but they want it released publicly.
Johnson's mother accused the Police Department of covering up her son's death. CBS Chicago reports that at her family attorney's office in the West Loop, Holmes said the video of her son's death will show he was unarmed, and - -similar to McDonald -- walking away from police, not toward them, when he was shot.
She said an autopsy revealed her son was shot in the back on Oct. 12, 2014.
CBS Chicago reports that Holmes filed a federal lawsuit against Officer George Hernandez and the city last year, claiming dashboard camera video shows Johnson never pointed a weapon at police, was moving away from Hernandez, and was not an imminent threat to officers when he was shot.
Police have said Johnson pulled a gun during a chase, after officers responded to a call of shots fired one block away.
Holmes' attorney said he's seen the video of the shooting, and "I'm 100 percent certain Ronald Johnson had nothing in his hand."
Mayor Rahm Emanuel spokeswoman Kelley Quinn said Tuesday that the city is "looking into" releasing the video.
Holmes says her son had five children and was known for his smile.