Dominiq Greer speaks at a press conference last Wednesday announcing a lawsuit against the city and police. Moments later he was arrested for murder. | Mitch Dudek/For Sun-Times
Chicago Sun-Times
Moments after Dominiq Greer had a press conference Wednesday to announce a lawsuit seeking $15 million from the city—alleging a Chicago Police officer wrongfully shot him seven times—he was arrested on a warrant for the murder of Kevin Larry as he waited for a ride.
“I had no clue,” said his lawyer Eugene Hollander, who hosted the 10 a.m. conference at his Loop office. “It’s definitely a surprise to me. He was going to grab an Uber back home and as he was waiting a squad car pulled up.”
Greer, a convicted felon, was arrested for the May 27 shooting death of the 22-year-old Larry on Wednesday, and formally charged with first-degree murder on Friday.
Greer, who lives in the 12400 block of South Eggleston, was ordered held without bond at a Saturday hearing, and was due back in court Monday.
Kevin Larry | photo provided
“We became aware he was holding a press conference for a civil suit against the police department, and the police department doesn’t wait to apprehend people accused of murder,” said Anthony Guglielmi, chief spokesman for the department.
On May 27, Police responded to a call of shots fired in an apartment in the 5600 block of South Wabash and found Larry fatally shot in the chest.
Greer, 26, was playing in a dice game and got into a quarrel over money before the shooting, authorities said.
After the killing, police issued an “officer safety alert” regarding Greer. The alert, which also referred to Greer by the alias, “Domo,” said he was overheard by witnesses saying he would “not be taken alive.”
At his press conference Wednesday, Greer said he illegally obtained a gun to protect himself following the fatal shooting of close friend Brian Weekly on June 7, 2014, in the 5600 block of South Wabash—the same block where Larry was killed this May.
Brian Weekly | Sun-Times file photo
“He should be considered armed and dangerous,” the alert said.
Greer said he was carrying the same gun on July 4, 2014, when Chicago Police officers chased him. He said he threw the gun away before an officer shot him seven times.
Greer showed reporters surveillance camera footage to back up his claim that he was shot multiple times as he tried to run away—and was shot again as he lay on the ground.
Greer, who told reporters he was not in a gang, said police should have gotten their exercise and chased him down instead of opening fire.
“They should have did their job and try to catch me instead of shooting me. If I ain’t never bring no harm to you, why would you bring harm to me,” said Greer, hours after his attorney filed a lawsuit against the city and two officers.
Greer said police approached him and two friends as they walked in the 7400 block of South Princeton. They were heading from the home of one friend who was on house arrest to the home of another friend, Greer said.
“He was just standing around with two of his friends in the street, he sees the police roll up and he takes off. When you’re an African-American in Englewood, it’s understandable,” Hollander said.
Greer ran a few steps before he was shot three times: in the right arm, right leg and left big toe. The video shows Greer stumbling and falling. Moments after he regained his feet and continued to run, a police officer enters the video with gun drawn.
Greer claims the same officer, Lawrence Cosban—a four-year veteran who is named in the lawsuit—shot Greer another four times from close range as Greer lay on the ground further down the alley—at which point he is a shadow on the black-and-white video.
“I thought I was [going to] die,” Greer said. “I asked them why they was shooting me like that so many times … they just stayed on their walkie-talkies.”
Greer spent eight days in Stroger Hospital after he was shot and was then transferred to Cook County Jail, where he stayed for seven months because he couldn’t afford bail. A charge of attempted murder of a police officer was dropped, but a charge of unlawful use of a weapon is pending.
Under the CPD’s current use-of-force policy, which is under review, the Independent Police Review Authority found the shooting justified and closed the case last year. IPRA found that Greer tossed the gun, it hit the ground and went off. Greer fell down after the gun discharged, IPRA noted.
The officer fired at Greer after hearing the gunfire, IPRA found. When Greer didn’t respond to an order to raise his hands, the officer fired again, according to IPRA.
The video of the shooting, recorded by the surveillance camera of a private business, isn’t posted to IPRA’s website—even though dozens of videos of other police-involved shootings have been posted recently.
The evidence posted to the IPRA website is only from cases that are still pending, IPRA spokeswoman Mia Sissac explained.
Greer said he has moved to south suburban Posen to distance himself from Chicago Police.
“I try to stay away from them,” he said. “My whole life I’ve been getting harassed, smacked around and everything by the police, so I’m just trying to stay away from them cause it seems like I can’t do nothing to them so if anything do come up I’m always going to be the bad guy, even if I’m in the right.”
Greer’s lengthy rap sheet includes a 2011 felony conviction for selling marijuana. He also was convicted of domestic battery, a misdemeanor, in 2013.