A Chicago jury ruled in favor of the Chicago Police Department in a wrongful death lawsuit filed by the family of Harith Augustus.
Augustus was shot and killed by Chicago police in the South Shore neighborhood in July of 2018. The shooting sparked protests and outcry from residents. The family sued wanting millions.
But when the jury saw the body camera footage that show Augustus reaching for a gun on his waistband before he was shot by a Chicago police officer, they sided with the cops.
The suit charged several Chicago Police Department officers, the police superintendent at the time and the city of Chicago.
The trial lasted for two weeks.
“We’re disappointed, we disagree with it,” Augustus family attorney Locke Bowman said.
“We think what happened to Harith Augustus was wrong and it should not have happened. It was wounding to the South Shore community and the broader city of Chicago.”
According to CBS:
The Civilian Office of Police Accountability announced Tuesday that it has concluded its investigation into the police shooting that killed Harith Augustus in South Shore in 2018 – an incident that brought about unrest at the time.
Augustus, 37, was shot and killed by police on Saturday, July 14, 2018 at 71st Street and Chappel Avenue.
COPA said officers reported they saw Augustus walking with the outline of a handgun visible under his shirt, and they stopped him to ask him about the gun.
As Augustus searched through his wallet, officers tried to gain physical control of him, but he pulled away and moved into the street, COPA said.
As Augustus pulled away, it appeared that he gripped the handle of the gun, COPA said. In response to that motion, an officer fired five times, killing Augustus.
Video of confrontation between police and Mr. Augustus at 71st and Jeffery. pic.twitter.com/Qd9q9IXNdS
— Anthony Guglielmi (@AJGuglielmi) July 15, 2018
— Chicago Contrarian (@ChicagoContrar1) July 7, 2023
