Chicago Cop Charged in Fatal Shooting of Unarmed Rekia Boyd Heads to Trial

Friends and family at a rally remembered Rekia Boyd Saturday as a trial date looms for the Chicago police detective accused in her fatal shooting, reports the Chicago Tribune. Suggested Reading The Ever-Growing List of Lawsuits Against Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Take a Look Inside Michael Jordan’s Former Chicago-Area Mansion, Which You Can Now Airbnb For…

Friends and family at a rally remembered Rekia Boyd Saturday as a trial date looms for the Chicago police detective accused in her fatal shooting, reports the Chicago Tribune.

Video will return here when scrolled back into view
Trump’s Tariffs Might Stick Around. What Should We Buy Now?
Trump’s Tariffs Might Stick Around. What Should We Buy Now?

The officer, Dante Servin, was charged with involuntary manslaughter after, prosecutors say, he recklessly opened fire, over his shoulder, at a group of people on March 21, 2012, fatally wounding 22-year-old Boyd. The trial, postponed from an October start date, is now scheduled to begin April 9.

The charges against Servin, also accused of reckless discharge of a firearm and reckless conduct, were the first time in more than 15 years that a police officer has been charged in Chicago in connection withย a fatal shooting, the report says. He was placed on paid desk duty and stripped of his police powers.

The city of Chicago paid $4.5 million to settle the wrongful death suit filed by Boydโ€™s family. But that has been of little solace to them. Her brother Martinez Sutton, 32, told protesters Saturday that heโ€™s still looking for answers in her death, the Tribune writes. โ€œThey say that her death was justified,โ€ he said at the rally, the news outlet writes. โ€œHer death was justified. Man. How? What did Rekia do? Thatโ€™s what everybody asks me. And Iโ€™m still trying to find out. Because talking to everybody that was involved, I get the same answer. Nothing. So why is she dead?โ€

The Tribune says that Cook County Stateโ€™s Attorneyย Anita Alvarezย reportedly feels strongly that Boyd โ€œlost her life for no reason.โ€ But Servinโ€™s supporters say he reacted in line with his training and was protecting himself.

Read more at the Chicago Tribune.

Straight From The Root

Sign up for our free daily newsletter.