CHICAGO — In videos released this week by the city’s civilian oversight board, an off-duty Chicago police sergeant is seen opening fire on and wounding an unarmed autistic teenager during an incident last year on the Far South Side. The footage — collected from multiple security cameras in the Morgan Park neighborhood — was released by the Civilian Office of Police Accountability on Wednesday, and it captures the August 2017 confrontation between Sgt. Khalil Muhammad and Ricardo Hayes, then 18.
According to authorities at the time, the shooting happened around 5 a.m. Aug. 13 2017, in the 10900 block of South Hermosa Avenue. Muhammad, who was off duty and in his personal SUV, approached Hayes when he noticed the teen acting suspicious.
Hayes became “elusive and unresponsive” as the two talked, and “the encounter escalated,” police said. Muhammad then shot Hayes, wounding him in the arm. He was treated for non-life-threatening injuries at Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn and released.
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In video from a home security camera, Hayes is seen running along the sidewalk (at the 1:00 mark) as Muhammad follows in his SUV. The teen eventually stops and stands facing in the direction of the off-duty officer’s approaching vehicle.
WATCH: The Civilian Office of Police Accountability recently released video of a shooting involving off-duty Chicago police Sgt. Khalil Muhammad and an unarmed autistic man. (WARNING: Violent content. Viewer discretion advised.)
Finally, Hayes takes a few steps toward Muhammad’s SUV but stays on the sidewalk. That’s when two shots are heard, followed by Hayes screaming as he flees down the street.
Along with autism, Hayes also suffers from schizophrenia, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. Footage of the shooting had been withheld because Hayes’ mental capacity meant he was considered a minor, and a federal lawsuit has been filed on his behalf, the report added.
No charges have been filed against Muhammad, but he is on administrative leave and has been stripped of his police powers while COPA continues its investigation. Eight misconduct complaints have been filed against Muhammad, who has been on the force since 2000, the Sun-Times reports. One of those complaints resulted in a two-day suspension, the report added.
Go to the Civilian Office of Police Accountability’s Vimeo page to watch all the videos from the shooting.
More via the Chicago Sun-Times
The Civilian Office of Police Accountability recently released videos of a 2017 shooting involving off-duty Chicago police Sgt. Khalil Muhammad and an unarmed autistic man. (Screen shot from video by Civilian Office of Police Accountability)
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