Family seeks answers after man fatally shot by Chicago police in Humboldt Park

Family of man killed by police demands accountability in Humboldt Park

The Civilian Office of Police accountability is investigating a deadly police shooting in Humboldt Park. Police say they tried to stop a car they say was linked to an earlier expressway shooting.  Tia Ewing is back from speaking with the family.

CHICAGO - A neighborhood barbecue on Chicago’s Northwest Side turned tragic when police shot and killed 41-year-old Derek Jordan in the Humboldt Park area, leaving family members demanding answers about what led up to the deadly encounter.

What we know:

Witnesses say the scene unfolded Monday evening near the 800 block of North Homan Avenue. 

Natasha Brown, who says Jordan was her cousin, said she was outside with family when police suddenly appeared.

Brown said she was about to walk across the street toward Jordan when officers emerged from an alley in unmarked vehicles.

"I'm about to go walk across the street toward him. But as I'm doing that, police come out, driving out the alley and he backed up. As he backed, I'm just seeing police coming from everywhere and him taking off," Brown said.

Moments later, Brown said officers surrounded the white Mercedes Jordan was driving. Seconds after that, gunfire rang out.

According to the Chicago Police Department, officers attempted to stop the vehicle around 5:30 p.m. because it was wanted in connection with a shooting earlier that day on the Eisenhower Expressway.

Police say the driver fled, struck a pedestrian and hit multiple vehicles before crashing into a bus operated by the Chicago Transit Authority and a police squad car. Officers then fired shots, striking the driver.

But Jordan’s family says the official account raises questions.

His cousin, Jasiman Griffin, said a public alert about the earlier expressway shooting described a different suspect.

"It was a citizen's alert that was sent out to the public that it was a white male that was involved in the shooting on I-290," Griffin said. "They are saying the car was stolen when we have the registered owner of the vehicle right here with us today."

Witnesses also described confusion at the scene immediately after the shooting.

Brown said after an officer fired several shots, other officers appeared to intervene.

"They were pushing the officer away that shot and killed him, telling him to put his gun back in the holster, get out of here," Brown said.

Cellphone video captured nearby shows Jordan’s vehicle moving back and forth before eventually striking a bus.

Jordan’s relatives say officers had time to slow the situation down instead of resorting to deadly force.

"There was no de-escalation," Griffin said. "Even if there was a back and forth for over a minute, why not shoot the tires? You shot six times into a vehicle with tinted windows. You didn't know who was in the vehicle."

Law enforcement sources say officers are trained to neutralize threats and that, in some situations, a moving vehicle can be considered a deadly weapon. However, police training also instructs officers to move out of the path of a moving vehicle when possible.

The shooting is now under investigation by the Civilian Office of Police Accountability, the independent agency that reviews police use-of-force incidents in Chicago.

For Jordan’s family, the focus is now on remembering the man behind the headlines.

His mother, Christine Thompkins, said her son was more than the brief description she saw in early reports.

"He's a human being, a father, a cousin, an uncle, a friend to a lot of people," Thompkins said. "And the only thing we saw on the headline was Black male shot by CPD."

She says the loss has been devastating.

"I can't sleep. I can't eat. I haven't eaten in three days. I can't even plan a funeral," she said.

What's next:

Now, Jordan’s family says they are determined to push for answers and accountability as the investigation continues.

"We need justice. We need accountability," Thompkins said. "And we’re not stopping until something happens."