Shocking Bodycam Footage: Unraveling the Chaos of 96 Shots Fired in a Fatal Traffic Encounter

Newly released bodycam footage shows the chaos that happened in a residential area when Chicago police shot at a man 96 times during a traffic stop. The 26-year-old was killed, leading to concerns about whether the officers used too much force.

Although an initial inquiry indicates that the driver shot at the officers first, his family and legal representatives are wondering why undercover officers approached Dexter Reed's car with their guns out and shot at him multiple times.

A fatal encounter took place in the Garfield Park neighborhood of the city on March 21. On Tuesday, the Chicago Civilian Office of Police Accountability released several graphic bodycam videos.

Police bodycam footage has become more important in raising awareness and understanding about officer-involved shootings across the country.

Bodycam footage has been instrumental in convicting certain officers of crimes, while others have managed to escape criminal charges. The videos from Chicago provide a clearer picture of the events that transpired, but they also give rise to numerous new inquiries.

What the videos show

In one video, an officer wearing a hooded jacket, a baseball cap and a tactical vest with a badge on it approaches the driver of a white vehicle with dark-tinted windows.

A Chicago police officer gives Dexter Reed several commands before gunfire breaks out.

A Chicago police officer gives Dexter Reed several commands before gunfire breaks out.

COPA Chicago

“Roll the window down. Roll the window down,” the officer tells the driver. The driver initially rolled his window down but then kept rolling it back up.

The officer asks, "What are you doing? Don't roll the window up. Do not roll the window up!" He tries to open the driver's door, but it seems to be locked. Suddenly, he pulls out a gun and yells, "Unlock the doors now! Unlock the doors now!" Another officer joins in, shouting the same demands.

The driver apparently says, “OK, I’m trying to.”

Seconds later, as the officer retreats from the vehicle, gunfire breaks out.

Picture taken on December 20, 2012 in Maubeuge of the flashing light of a police vehicle. French Interior minister and Central direction for Public security plan to reform the territorial organization of French police was presented to police unions on December 6, 2012.

A photo was captured on December 20, 2012 in Maubeuge showing the flashing light of a police car. The French Interior Minister, along with the Central Direction for Public Security, unveiled a plan to reorganize the territorial setup of the French police to police unions on December 6, 2012.

PHILIPPE HUGUEN/AFP/AFP/Getty Images

Related article

In some cases, videos contradict what police say in reports. Here's why

Dozens of gunshots are then heard in rapid succession.

Other bodycam footage reveals that two additional officers fired their weapons at Reed from across the street in the residential area. These officers took a moment to reload their guns after shooting.

Once the intense gunfire subsided, Reed's body was discovered lying face down behind the vehicle.

“He started shooting at us,” an officer said in one of the videos.

About a minute later, an officer examines Reed’s bullet-ridden car.

The officer points to the gun inside the vehicle, using a flashlight to illuminate it.

Chicago police reported that one officer was shot in the wrist during the gunfire and is currently in the hospital in good condition.

Now, multiple agencies are investigating whether the officers’ actions were justified.

Dexter Reed

Porscha Banks/Action Injury Law Group

The agency stated that the traffic stop was initiated due to a seat belt violation. According to preliminary reports, five Chicago Police officers from the 11th District tactical unit pulled over Dexter Reed, Jr. for allegedly not wearing his seatbelt.

COPA, the city agency, is in charge of looking into claims of police misconduct and all incidents of police shootings.

"When Mr. Reed was pulled over, several officers approached his vehicle and instructed him verbally. Mr. Reed did not follow these instructions, leading to officers aiming their guns at him. This resulted in a gunfire exchange where Mr. Reed was killed, and an officer was shot in the forearm," stated COPA.

The office stated that after reviewing video footage and initial reports, it seems that Mr. Reed fired the first shot, hitting one of the officers. In response, four officers then fired back.

CNN's examination of the bodycam footage did not provide clear evidence of who initiated the gunfire.

Police work the scene where Dexter Reed was shot March 21 in Chicago's Garfield Park neighborhood.

COPA stated that there is initial evidence showing that officers fired around 96 shots in 41 seconds. This includes shooting at Mr. Reed even after he got out of his car and fell down.

Mr. Reed was shot several times and taken to the hospital, where he was declared dead. A gun was found on the front passenger seat of his car.

"That just seems like a clear case of murder to me."

Reed's family and their lawyers are puzzled by the actions of the officers who approached his car with guns drawn, some of them in plain clothes and tactical vests.

Attorney Steven Hart raised concerns about the incident, questioning why Dexter was stopped for not wearing a seatbelt. He wondered why armed tactical officers from an unmarked police car were involved in what should have been a routine traffic violation.

Dexter Reed

Porscha Banks/Action Injury Law Group

Reed’s uncle Roosevelt Banks said he would panic in that scenario.

After watching the police footage, Banks expressed that if he was in that situation, he would be terrified and wouldn't know how to react other than to protect himself.

He also commented that adding clips to the gun after the person was already shot was nothing but plain murder.

The president of the Fraternal Order of Police Chicago Lodge #7, a Chicago police union, stood by the officers' response. John Catanzara Jr. expressed in an email to CNN that they have a clear defense of the officers' actions.

The police department stated on Tuesday that the shooting is still being investigated by the Civilian Office of Police Accountability (COPA) with the Chicago Police Department's full cooperation. They mentioned that a determination on the shooting cannot be made until all the facts are known and the investigation is complete.

It's uncertain if the officers in the shooting will be charged with a crime, according to Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx on Tuesday.

Foxx stated, "Our responsibility is to assess all the evidence to decide if the use of force in this situation exceeded what is legally permitted."

Our Law Enforcement Accountability Division, also known as LEAD, will thoroughly review all aspects of the situation to decide if the force used by the officers was justified or if it could lead to criminal charges.

This story has been refreshed with more details.

CNN’s Jack Hannah and Cheri Mossburg contributed to this report.

Editor's P/S:

The bodycam footage of the Chicago police shooting of Dexter Reed is deeply disturbing and raises serious questions about the use of excessive force by law enforcement. The fact that officers approached Reed's car with their guns drawn and shot at him multiple times, even after he got out of his car and fell down, is alarming and suggests that the officers may have been acting recklessly and without regard for Reed's safety. The investigation into this incident must be thorough and impartial, and those responsible for any wrongdoing must be held accountable.

Reed's family and legal representatives have raised concerns about why undercover officers approached his car with their guns out and shot at him multiple times. They question whether the officers had sufficient justification for using deadly force and why they did not attempt to de-escalate the situation. The bodycam footage does not provide a clear answer to these questions, and the investigation will need to determine whether the officers' actions were justified or whether they violated Reed's civil rights. This incident highlights the need for improved training and accountability for law enforcement officers, as well as the importance of body cameras in providing transparency and evidence in cases of police shootings.