Dexter Reed case: No Chicago officers will be charged in fatal police shooting

CHICAGO - Cook County State’s Attorney Eileen O’Neill Burke announced Wednesday that the Chicago police officers involved in the fatal 2024 shooting of Dexter Reed — during a West Side traffic stop that escalated into a gunfight — will not face criminal charges.

The backstory:

Reed, 26, was shot 13 times on March 21, 2024, after he fired at an officer, wounding him in the wrist, according to the Civilian Office of Police Accountability (COPA).

Four officers returned fire, shooting 96 rounds in just 41 seconds, striking Reed multiple times, including in the chest, back, and legs.

Reed’s death was ruled a homicide by the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office.

WARNING: Graphic video below. Viewer discretion is advised.

The shooting, which began after police stopped Reed for an alleged seat belt violation, prompted protests and a federal lawsuit from his family, alleging excessive force and civil rights violations.

When he was pulled over, body-worn camera footage shows officers asking Reed to roll down his windows and show his hands. Seconds later, he fired at officers from inside his vehicle, officials explained. 

COPA’s investigation found that officers continued shooting after Reed exited his SUV and fell to the ground. Video footage of the incident was later released by the oversight agency.

City Council rejects settlement with Dexter Reed's family

In February, the City of Chicago reached a tentative $1.25 million settlement with the family of Dexter Reed.

However, in April, the Committee on Finance rejected the settlement in a 15-12 vote.

What they're saying:

Cook County's top prosecutor held a press conference on Wednesday, in which she announced she would not be charging the officers involved in the fatal shooting of Reed.

She shared that Assistant State’s Attorney Lynn McCarthy, head of the office’s Law Enforcement Review Unit, had overseen the matter from the outset, within hours of the incident.

The presentation from McCarthy highlighted the role of the Cook County State's Attorney's Office in making the decision, how the investigation was conducted, what evidence and materials were reviewed, and the roles of other agencies involved.

"In this case, the evidence is clear and overwhelming that we would not be able to meet our burden and secure convictions," O’Neill Burke said. "Therefore, will not be charging any of the police officers who were involved in this incident."

During the presentation on Wednesday, prosecutors showed video from all five body-worn cameras along with neighborhood surveillance footage. 

"From the multi-viewpoint footage, we have prepared a synced compilation of all the video evidence on one screen that I believe is quite helpful in understanding how quickly this entire incident transpired. I want to warn you though, before you look at the footage, the footage is very graphic and it is very disturbing," O'Neill Burke added. 

O’Neill Burke also presented the relevant statute and case law for officer-involved shootings and how those laws were applied to reach the decision.

"What happened that evening was a tragedy. A young life ended, a police officer was shot with a potentially career-ending injury, and many other lives were upended. An entire neighborhood was traumatized," O'Neill Burke said. "The encounter lasted about a minute and escalated quickly. About 30 seconds after the officers first approached his vehicle, Mr. Reed opened fire, striking one of the officers."

Four of the officers fired a total of 96 rounds; Officer Gregory St. Louis never fired his weapon after being struck in the arm by Reed.

"The entire encounter took place in a little more than one minute. It was approximately 71 seconds," ASA McCarthy said. "There were 11 fired cartridge cases found at the scene and they all matched Reed's firearm."

O'Neill Burke said that when a person is killed by a police officer in Cook County, her office has a statutory mandate to review the investigation and evidence, and bring criminal charges if warranted.

As is protocol in officer-involved shootings, the Illinois State’s Attorney Appellate Prosecutor’s Office — known as ILSAP — reviewed the decision based on the evidence and the law, she said.

ILSAP is not affiliated with the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office and provides an independent assessment. O’Neill Burke said ILSAP agreed that the evidence did not warrant charges against the officers.

"This decision is not reached lightly, nor does it diminish the tragedy that has occurred. But it is unmistakable that Mr. Reed was the first to fire his weapon, a gun he did not legally possess. This action seriously wounded a police officer and set off the initial exchange of gunfire. The evidence also shows that after an eight second pause, Mr. Reed again engaged in a second round of gunfire," O'Neill Burke said.

She added that it was not the office's role to examine or judge police tactics.

"This is not the appropriate venue to judge whether the officers involved deviated from their training or whether the policies and procedures they trained on are appropriate. There are other avenues for those questions and issues to be addressed. But to the question of whether the officers committed a crime under the Illinois Criminal code? The answer is straight forward. They did not," O'Neill Burke said.

What's next:

Andrew M. Stroth, the attorney representing Reed's family, said they are disappointed but not surprised by the decision, adding that he feels the root of the problem is why Reed was stopped in the first place.

"This case is not about some type of shootout. It's about an unlawful traffic stop that resulted in 96 shots. Three when he was dying outside his vehicle unarmed," Stroth said. "He got stopped, from our perspective, because he was driving while Black by a group of tactical officers who have a pattern and practice of stopping individuals in the 11th District."

Stroth said he will be amending their federal civil rights lawsuit in the coming weeks and will continue to pursue justice for Reed through the courts.

"This is a 26-year-old man who had a family who loved him and deserved to live his life. That was cut short by the unconstitutional actions of these officers on that day in March," Stroth said. 

The Chicago Police Department also released a statement:

"This remains an ongoing investigation with the Civilian Office of Police Accountability (COPA). Three of the involved officers remain on administrative duties and two of the involved officers are inactive."