Brian Weekly | Homicide Watch Chicago

Man announces lawsuit against cops for shooting him, then he's charged with fatal shooting of Kevin Larry

Jeff Mayes — Mon, 13 Jun 2016 11:56:13 -0500

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

By MITCH DUDEK and FRANK MAIN
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.

Murder victims had been shot – twice – before

Craig Newman — Fri, 11 Jul 2014 09:55:18 -0500

EDITOR'S NOTE: Chicago Sun-Times reporter Frank Main tells the story of Bruce Wright and Brian Weekly, two men shot dead in Chicago who had been shooting victims before.

The first two shootings didn’t kill them.

But the third one did.

Two recent Chicago murder victims survived earlier gunshot wounds before they were killed, police confirmed Thursday. Bruce Wright, a parolee, was killed Tuesday on the Northwest Side, and Brian Weekly died last month on the South Side.

. . .

Police pointed to the two killings as examples of the difficulties in stopping violence in Chicago. Victims refuse to help detectives — and often wind up dead.

READ THE WHOLE STORY HERE

WEEK IN REVIEW: Seven shot dead throughout Chicago

Michael Lansu — Mon, 09 Jun 2014 09:00:23 -0500

BY MICHAEL LANSU
Homicide Watch Chicago Editor

At least seven people were murdered throughout Chicago last week -- the city's lowest homicide total in three weeks.

All seven people were killed by gunfire. The deceased were six men and a woman.

The seven killings are the lowest weekly total since five people were killed May 12-18, according to Homicide Watch Chicago data. The next two weeks had 11 and 14 homicides.

The most recent murder happened when 36-year-old Kennyone Pendelton was shot in the chest multiple times in the 4600 block of West Jackson Boulevard about 9:25 p.m. Saturday, authorities said. Pendelton, of the 1100 block of North Lawler Avenue, died at the scene, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

In the Washington Park neighborhood, 18-year-old Brian Weekly was shot multiple times in an alley in the 5600 block of South Wabash Avenue about 1:30 a.m. Saturday, authorities said. A 20-year-old man was also wounded but survived.

Weekly, of the 1400 block of West 79th Street, died at the scene, according to the examiner’s office.

On Friday, 22-year-old Carnesha Fort was shot in the 100 block of North Keeler Avenue about 10:45 p.m., authorities said. Fort, who lived on the block, died at Mount Sinai Hospital less than an hour later, according to the medical examiner’s office.

In Rogers Park, 18-year-old Alante Vallejo was shot in the 1900 block of West Howard Street about 1:45 p.m. Friday, authorities said. A 20-year-old man was also wounded but survived.

Vallejo, of the 200 block of Ridge Avenue in Evanston, died less than an hour later at Presence Saint Francis Hospital in Evanston.

Friend Jodeci Johnson said Vallejo had recently graduated from Evanston Township High School and was "planning his future."

On Thursday, 27-year-old Derrick Bowens was standing outside his home in the 7000 block of South Morgan Street when when a black car pulled up and a passenger in the rear seat shot him in the abdomen about 9:50 a.m., authorities said.

Bowens died at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn hours later, according to the medical examiner’s office.

On Wednesday, 18-year-old Ronald Holliman was shot in the 4900 block of West West End Avenue about 5 p.m., authorities said. Two other men were wounded but survived.

Holliman, of the 5200 block of West Race Avenue, died at Mount Sinai Hospital, according to the medical examiner's office.

On Tuesday, Jerome Lofton fatally shot 21-year-old Darrien Jordan during an argument in the 3900 block of West Grenshaw Street, prosecutors said. Lofton, 32, of the 3700 block of West Polk Street, allegedly grabbed a gun from a vehicle and shot Jordan in the chest about 1:30 p.m.

Jordan, 21, who lived on the block, died hours later at Mount Sinai Hospital, according to the medical examiner's office.

Additionally, 25-year-old David M. Hernandez, of the 6000 block of South Lorel Avenue, died Monday from wounds suffered in a drive-by Sunday evening shooting in the 900 block of West 32nd Street in the Bridgeport neighborhood, authorities said.

Overall, the medical examiner’s office has ruled at least 165 Chicago deaths in 2014 a homicide — including seven people killed by police.

Additionally, the state’s attorney’s office filed first-degree murder charges against a speeding motorist who killed an off-duty police officer while trying to flee police even though the autopsy ruled the death an accident.

Chicago Police, which counts murders different, have ruled some of those homicides as involuntary manslaughter, justified self-defense or accidents.

Brian Weekly shot to death in Washington Park area

Michael Lansu — Sat, 07 Jun 2014 11:38:11 -0500

Brian Weekly was killed in an early Saturday shooting in the Washington Park neighborhood that left another man critically wounded.

Weekly, 18, was shot multiple times in an alley in the 5600 block of South Wabash Avenue about 1:30 a.m., authorities said. A 20-year-old man was also shot multiple times.

Weekly, of the 1400 block of West 79th Street, was dead at the scene, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

The 20-year-old was taken to John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County in critical condition, police said.

At least 20 people, including family and friends, were gathered on the corner of 56th Street and Wabash as police investigated.

Nobody has been charged for the murder.

Area Central detectives are investigating.

-- Sun-Times Media Wire