Chicago cop sued in fatal shooting involved in another death in 2013
CHICAGO _ The mother of a teen slain last week in a controversial Chicago police shooting filed a federal lawsuit Tuesday that alleges the officer used "unjustified and excessive use of force."
The officer _ identified in the lawsuit as Sgt. John Poulos _ was involved in another fatal shooting three years ago, court records show.
In the latest incident, the sergeant alleged that 19-year-old Kajuan Raye pointed a weapon at him twice during a foot chase Wednesday in the West Englewood neighborhood, police have said. Police never found a weapon, despite a thorough search of the area. Raye was shot in the back, according to the Cook County medical examiner's office.
Police have not named Poulos as the sergeant involved in Raye's shooting, but on Saturday, police Superintendent Eddie Johnson stripped the sergeant of his police powers, saying, "I have concerns about this incident."
Poulos, assigned to the Englewood police district, had responded to a call of a battery in progress when the shooting took place after 11 p.m. Wednesday, according to police.
In the 2013 incident, authorities have said Poulos saw 28-year-old Rickey Rozelle, a convicted felon, in a dark gangway by a vacant apartment building. Poulos asked Rozelle to show his hands, but Rozelle ignored him, authorities said. Rozelle then grabbed at his waistband, and Poulos shot him, authorities said. No gun was recovered from him.
The Independent Police Review Authority, much maligned in recent years for its investigations of shootings involving police officers, cleared Poulos of wrongdoing.
_Chicago Tribune
