Video shows CPD squad car rolling over 16-year-old Black girl in Roseland during uprisings
A shocking social media video showing a Chicago Police Department (CPD) squad car rolling over and injuring a 16-year-old Black girl on 111th and Michigan during the uprisings against police brutality on May 31 has gone viral.
According to the woman who posted the graphic video to her Facebook page, the CPD officer hopped out of his/her vehicle without putting the car in park. The 16-year-old girl, who has not been identified, was lying in the street behind the car — as if she was being apprehended by police — moments before the vehicle rolled over her.
The TRiiBE has not yet been able to confirm the girl’s name. A CPD statement only confirmed that she was transported to Christ Hospital in stable condition after the incident. (WARNING: Sensitive video content below).
The TRiiBE reached out to CPD multiple times on June 2 for confirmation of what took place in the video. CPD initially responded with an email stating that there was no incident that took place near the 11100 block of Michigan. However, the following day, it sent the following statement:
“Officers were responding to the 11100 block of South Michigan Ave on May 31st, 2020, at approximately 2:51 p.m. for reports of looting in the area. Upon arrival, an officer exited his vehicle to assist another officer in need of help. He then observed his vehicle rolling backward, injuring one officer and one juvenile civilian who were in the street. A 16-year-old female was transported by ambulance to Christ Hospital, where she was treated and stabilized. The injured officer was also taken to Christ Hospital in good condition. The incident was documented in a traffic crash report. An investigation has been opened into this incident.”
On June 3, The TRiiBE reached out to Christ Hospital for updates on the girl’s condition, but received no response. On June 4, The TRiiBE submitted a FOIA request to CPD for the accident report with details, including the girl’s name and the names of the officers at the scene — especially the officer driving the vehicle that rolled over the girl.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot encouraged residents to dial 3-1-1 to report incidents of misconduct by police officers during her June 4 press conference. She spoke about the latest string of videos and news showing people hurt and killed by Chicago police in the midst of continuing uprisings, with CPD Supt. David Brown and Civilian Office of Police Accountability (COPA) Chief Administrator Sydney Roberts by her side.
“We will hold people accountable who cross the line. I’m aware of reports of misconduct. Those will not be tolerated and they will be aggressively investigated. We will investigate every case and get to the bottom of every case and we will not spare any resource to do so,” said Lightfoot. “I call upon members of the public again. If you believe that you have been mistreated by the police, you must file a complaint. Please call COPA now by dialing 311.”
According to Roberts, who spoke at the press conference, more than 250 complaints have been filed against CPD since Friday, the day the uprisings began in Chicago.
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Charles Lucas, 25, a Roseland resident, said he was not on the scene, but did witness the aftermath of the incident. He said he noticed how quiet the area was after the incident made its way to social media. He said the moment he heard about the video via social media, he got nervous.
“It got me to the core because usually when the news or police say something about 111th, I get nervous because that’s where a lot of my people live,” said Lucas.
Videos of the incident began to surface on social media around 3:00 p.m. on May 31. Although Lucas wasn’t on the scene at the time of the incident, he did drive past the area about an hour later.
“It was crazy because I had just passed the area and they had already cleaned up the scene by the time I passed by around 4:00 p.m. that same day,” said Lucas. “It was like a ghost town on that block but in the video, not even posted three hours before, showed everybody livid and freaking out.”
The cries and pain in the aftermath of George Floyd’s murder traveled from Minneapolis to Chicago that weekend. Protesters crowded the corner of 111th and Michigan on May 31 seeking justice for Floyd, a Black man from Minneapolis who was murdered by white police Officer Derek Chauvin who pressed his knee into his neck as Floyd whispered “I can’t breathe.” He died after being arrested for being accused of using a counterfeit $20 bill at a local store. (Video below captured by @thesolecatcher (Instagram).
May 31, the day of the alleged CPD incident caught on video, was the third day of protesting in the city. People who were on 111th and Michigan that day were loud, and angry. The commotion of the CPD officer running over the young woman only added to the moment and created an even larger uproar. The video shows people who witnessed the incident yelling and cursing at the officers as they banded their bodies together to barricade the incident and block off the scene and protect the injured young woman.
Another video also showed some looting happening in the area before CPD arrived on the scene.
“It blew my mind because a lot of the reactions from law enforcement supported the idea that they had done something,” said Lucas in regards to the video.
The video also shows the very still faces and bodies of the police officers that stood on the scene refusing to answer questions from the public and being completely silent toward rageful protesters.
“I noticed in the video that they were completely silent and they were not answering questions from anyone who was just asking regular questions. It implied guilt,” Lucas said. “I take the word over the protesters who were there over law enforcement because they’ve been shown to hide black bodies all the time,” said Lucas.
The TRiiBE is looking for more information. If you know any details about this incident or others, please contact us at info@thetriibe.com.
