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Video shows Chicago police shoot man allegedly armed with knife in River North
COPA has released video from a 2025 Chicago police shooting. WARNING: Graphic content.
CHICAGO - Chicago's police oversight agency has released video of a police shooting in River North last year in which a man allegedly armed with a knife was wounded.
Chicago police shooting video
The shooting happened April 7, 2025, near 30 E. Hubbard St.
According to the Civilian Office of Police Accountability, Chicago police officers saw a man known to have an outstanding warrant. Officers later saw that he was armed with a knife.
The man fled from officers into a nearby business, where officers chased him and tried to de-escalate the situation, COPA said.
Officers deployed their Tasers, but the man allegedly continued to ignore verbal commands and turned toward officers while still holding the knife.
Two officers then fired their weapons, striking the man. He was taken to a hospital in critical condition.
A knife was recovered at the scene, according to COPA.
Two officers were also taken to a hospital for observation.
The man, identified in the case as Demond Williams, was charged with one count of possession of a weapon by a person with a prior forcible felony conviction, two counts of felon in possession of a weapon and three counts of aggravated assault of a peace officer, firefighter or emergency worker.
Previous mugshot of Demond Williams from 2024 | CPD
What COPA released
COPA released body-worn camera video, third-party video and video from police observation devices.
The agency also released radio transmissions, tactical response records, foot-pursuit records, arrest records and case reports.
The materials are available on COPA’s website.
Why the footage was released now
COPA said a court order entered May 29, 2025, in the case of People v. Desmond Williams, barred the agency from releasing materials connected to the shooting.
That court order is no longer in effect, allowing COPA to release the video and other records.
Arrest history
Chicago Police Department records show Williams had prior arrests dating back to 2014. The records list charges including possession of a controlled substance, criminal trespass, theft, retail theft and criminal damage to property.
What's next:
COPA is still investigating the officers' use of force.
What you can do:
Anyone with information or video related to the shooting can contact COPA at 312-746-3609 or submit information through ChicagoCOPA.org.
The Source: The information in this story came from the Civilian Office of Police Accountability and the Chicago Police Department.