Chicago police reform moving at 'snail's pace', costing lives, Illinois ACLU says
CHICAGO - The American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois says the lack of "meaningful police reform" is taking a toll on communities of color in Chicago, in the wake of video that shows the fatal police shooting of a 22-year-old man last month.
In a statement released on Wednesday, the ACLU of Illinois said police reform in Chicago is moving at a "snail's pace" and is costing citizens their lives.
"The lack of meaningful police reform in Chicago is not only costing the City lives, but also taking a psychological toll on communities of color," said Colleen Connell, Executive Director of ACLU Illinois. "The City must abandon the current snail’s pace of police reform and become serious about making real changes that serve all neighborhoods."
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Videos of Chicago police fatally shooting Anthony Alvarez on March 31 in Portage Park were released by the Civilian Office of Police Accountability (COPA) and the Chicago Police Department on Wednesday.
"For the second time in weeks, the people of Chicago are presented with video footage of a young Latino man being shot and killed by police during a foot pursuit," Connell said in the statement. "Again, a family suffers as the Alvarez family experiences the grief and pain of witnessing the last moments of a loved one."
On Tuesday night, the family of Alvarez viewed footage of the shooting at COPA Headquarters showing his fatal shooting, along with the foot chase that led up to it.
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"Chicago communities also suffer trauma with each of these releases - especially Latino communities, which once again see how police respond to people from their neighborhoods," the statement said.
Connell called on COPA and the Chicago Police Department to conduct a "complete and transparent" investigation into Alvarez' death.