VIDEO: Cook County State's Attorney Will Not Charge Officer in Ronald Johnson Shooting
No charges will be filed in the Chicago police shooting of Ronald Johnson, 25, Cook County State's Attorney Anita Alvarez said Monday. She played the dash-cam video of the shooting after outlining the night Johnson was killed.
Johnson was shot to death by Officer George Hernandez in October 2014. Johnson's family argued Chicago police dash-cam video showed he was not armed, but experts determined otherwise, according to the Independent Police Review Authority investigation. Alvarez released that photo.
The blurry dash-cam video shows officers running after Johnson. As he runs off frame, Officer Hernandez raises his arms and flashes come from his gun. Johnson was hit twice from behind.
"The fact that the officer shot Ronald Johnson in the back is one of many factors that had to be carefully considered and evaluated. Even though Mr. Johnson was running away from Hernandez and other police officers, he was running towards a police vehicle containing two other responding officers and unknown numbers of the public inside that park," Alvarez said.
Alvarez also said the dash-cam video does not show a struggle between a Chicago police officer and Johnson before the shooting. In a detailed presentation including 911 calls and police squad locations, her office outlined Johnson's whereabouts on the night he was killed, WLS TV reports.