Chicago police will not pursue charges against the apparently unarmed man who was shot by an officer at the Grand Red Line station on Friday afternoon, according to CPD’s chief spokesperson.
“Chicago Police Supt. Charlie Beck has asked Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx to drop the resisting arrest and criminal narcotics charges that have been lodged against [Ariel Roman] by the CPD,” Anthony Guglielmi said in a press statement. “Given the totality of circumstances and the department’s significant level of concern around this incident, it would be insensitive to advocate for these charges.”
I don't exactly know what to do with this, but I witnessed and recorded the police-involved shooting at the Grand Red Line station in Chicago a little over an hour ago. This is my unedited video. (Trigger warning, obviously.) pic.twitter.com/tIrv1RfTN3
— The Unaffiliated Critic (@FreeRangeCritic) February 28, 2020
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot on Friday called the officer’s decision to shoot Roman, “potential[ly] criminal.”
Video posted online shows officers pepper-sprayed Roman and deployed at least one Taser before an officer shoots him at the base of a subway escalator. Roman then heads up the escalator and a second gunshot is heard as the two officers follow behind him.
One shot struck Roman in the abdomen. The other in the buttocks, according to his attorney, Gloria Schmidt Rodriguez.
“While we will not rush to judgment, the level of concern over the tactics used in this incident is significant,” Guglielmi continued. “We are cooperating fully with the independent use of force investigation by the Civilian Office of Police Accountability and the underlying criminal review being conducted at our request by the Cook County State’s Attorney and the FBI.”
Roman was listed in critical but stable condition on Friday night.
