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Protests Continue In Chicago After Police Bodycam Video Released

DAVID GREENE, HOST:

Protests went on for a second night on the South Side of Chicago. That is where a 37-year-old man was shot and killed by police on Saturday evening. Sarah Karp from member station WBEZ in Chicago reports.

SARAH KARP, BYLINE: Chicago police released the body cam video of the shooting Sunday. In the short silent video, the 37-year-old's shirt is lifted, and a gun can clearly be seen. Then, when he turns and runs away, he's quickly shot. Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson says he's hoping the release of the video calms tensions.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

EDDIE JOHNSON: I know everybody's emotionally heightened. I get that. I get that. But at the same time, we have a process in place. And if we have to hold individuals accountable, we will. Don't judge things on your emotion. Let the facts guide your decision on what you think.

KARP: Johnson's plea came after police and protesters met with an explosive situation Saturday evening. The shooting happened at about 5:30 p.m. By about 7:30, hundreds of people had flooded the intersection near where it had happened.

(SOUNDBITE OF PROTEST)

UNIDENTIFIED PROTESTER: (Chanting) They think it's a game.

UNIDENTIFIED PROTESTERS: (Chanting) They think it's a joke.

UNIDENTIFIED PROTESTER: (Chanting) They think it's a game.

UNIDENTIFIED PROTESTERS: (Chanting) They think it's a joke.

UNIDENTIFIED PROTESTER: (Chanting) They think it's a game.

KARP: Police say that protesters started pelting them with bottles, at least one filled with urine, and that four people were detained and one arrested. Activist William Calloway says that after the TV cameras left, police started hitting people with batons.

WILLIAM CALLOWAY: Unarmed black women - I watched women beg Chicago police officers not to hit them, and I watched Chicago police officers hit them with batons. Chicago Police Department is not fixed, and that has to be noted.

KARP: Protesters were back on the streets Sunday evening. They first gathered in a parking lot near where the shooting took place. While there was talk of the man killed the night before, much of the rally was about the many black men killed by police over the past few years. Arewa Karen told the crowd they never showed the video of her nephew who was also shot by police.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

AREWA KAREN WINTERS: It looked like a brand-new lynching. It was an awful look. It hurt my heart so bad.

KARP: When she was done speaking, the crowd chanted the name of her nephew - Pierre, Pierre. The protesters also talked about the 2014 police killing of Laquan McDonald, an unarmed 16-year-old. When that video was released, it sparked weeks of unrest. Later this summer, the police officer accused of that shooting goes on trial, and before the protesters marched through the streets, leaders told them they should be on the ready when that trial happens. As for the shooting this weekend, Superintendent Eddie Johnson urged people to wait to judge the situation. He says he's holding his opinion until an independent review.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

JOHNSON: From police perspective, you know, these things happen at a split second, and officers have to make decisions quickly. They don't have the luxury of looking at video later.

KARP: The police officer involved in the shooting will be on administrative leave for 30 days. For NPR News, I'm Sarah Karp in Chicago. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.

NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.

Sarah Karp is a reporter at WBEZ. A former reporter for Catalyst-Chicago, the Chicago Reporterand the Daily Southtown, Karp has covered education, and children and family issues for more than 15 years. She is a graduate of the University of Missouri School of Journalism. She has won five Education Writers Association awards, three Society of Professional Journalism awards and the 2005 Sidney Hillman Award. She is a native of Chicago.