Surveillance digicam footage seems to contradict the official story of a crash involving a Chicago police officer and a Chevy Equinox. The unique story, as reported by CBS Information on June 22 when the crash occurred, was that the Equinox was driving west on Monroe Avenue and crashed into the police automotive heading south on Kostner Avenue, sending each automobiles spinning into different parked automobiles. Police cited the Equinox driver for driving with out insurance coverage and two different counts, based on Fox 32.
Nonetheless, Fox 32 additionally acquired video from surveillance cameras at a comfort retailer at that intersection that tells a somewhat totally different story. The Equinox stopped on the intersection with Kostner Avenue, allowed cross visitors to go, then proceeded slowly into the intersection. The Chicago police automotive entered the intersection at a excessive fee of velocity whereas passing stopped visitors, slamming into the aspect of the Equinox already within the intersection. Then each automobiles spun and crashed into parked automobiles, identical to the unique report stated.
The primary parked automotive they hit was a Volkswagen Taos with Danielle Howse, her fiancé and their three youngsters inside. They have been hospitalized in honest situation, and the VW is totaled. There isn’t a data on accidents to the Equinox driver or the police officer, however deployed airbags in each automobiles are seen within the surveillance video. Airbags wouldn’t go off in a parked automotive, and there can be no motive to be sporting seat belts.
Police seem to have run a cease signal
The surveillance digicam video within the Fox 32 information clip is fairly grainy, so I turned to Google Avenue View for a greater have a look at this intersection.
The above view is much like one of many angles from the surveillance video. Word the cease signal on the correct aspect of the picture for southbound visitors on Kostner. Monroe is a one-way avenue, and we are able to see the again of a cease signal there as nicely.
Beneath is the view northbound on Kostner simply earlier than the intersection with Monroe. That is the path the Chicago police cruiser was touring. Cease indicators are clearly seen on each side of the street and on each side of the intersection. A Avenue View picture from 2015 exhibits no cease indicators on Kostner Avenue, however the 2024 picture exhibits them each.
These photographs, plus the surveillance video, present not solely that the officer entered the intersection at a excessive fee of velocity, but in addition ignored these cease indicators and didn’t examine for cross visitors earlier than continuing. The Equinox driver stopped, then proceeded after they believed the intersection was clear, seemingly unable to see the fast-moving cruiser across the stopped visitors on Kostner. Primarily based on the cruiser’s velocity and the Equinox driver not reacting in any respect earlier than the crash, it is seemingly the Equinox driver by no means noticed the officer.
Cop cover-up
We do not know why the Chicago police officer was driving as quick or recklessly as they have been. However even in a pursuit, police are answerable for retaining the general public protected. That is why many departments have strict guidelines about when a pursuit is justified, and why New York Lawyer Basic Letitia James has proposed a statewide ban aside from very particular circumstances.
We would need to see extra of the surveillance footage to make sure, however it would not appear like there was any pursuit concerned right here, simply quick driving. Fox 32 says the cruiser’s emergency lights have been on, although IÂ cannot see them clearly within the video myself. The video has no sound, so we do not know if the siren was on. If it was, that would have been a clue to the Equinox driver to pay nearer consideration. Then once more, sirens are so widespread within the metropolis that they’ll additionally mix into the background noise. Regardless, there isn’t any motive for anybody to cost by means of a cease signal and throughout an intersection that quick, even a cop.
Even worse, Chicago police thus far proceed guilty the Equinox driver for hitting the cruiser, regardless of clear video proof that the cruiser T-boned the Equinox at excessive velocity. It’s miles from the primary time police have liedand sadly, it in all probability will not be the final.
