Kevin Larry | 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.

WEEK IN REVIEW: Nine killed in violence across the city, four in first two days of holiday weekend

Jeff Mayes — Tue, 31 May 2016 16:00:17 -0500

By JEFF MAYES
Chicago Sun-Times Wire

Chicago Sun-Times file photo

At least nine people were killed in violecne last week in Chicago, including four in the first three days of a violent Memorial Day weekend, which saw nearly 70 people shot across the city.

Garvin Whitmore was shot to death Saturday evening in the Fuller Park neighborhood. The 27-year-old was sitting in a vehicle with his fiancee about 5:20 p.m. in the 200 block of West Root when someone walked up and shot him in the head, according to Chicago Police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

The woman then got out and fired shots as the shooter ran away, police said. No one else was injured.

Whitmore, of the 5800 block of West 63rd Place, was pronounced dead at the scene, the medical examiner’s office said.

His fiancee, 26-year-old Ashley Harrison of Aurora, was charged with reckless discharge of a firearm, and aggravated unlawful use of a weapon without an FOID card, according to police. She was ordered held on a $250,000 bond.

No one is in custody for the murder.

A 23-year-old man was shot to death in the Portage Park neighborhood on the Northwest Side on Saturday morning. Damien Cionzynski got into a fight with two other males inside a business about 5:15 a.m. in the 6300 block of West Montrose, police and the medical examiner’s office said.

Cionzynski was shot in the head and pronounced dead at the scene, authorities said. He lived in northwest suburban Harwood Heights.

A 15-year-old girl was killed and a man wounded in a shooting on Lake Shore Drive in Lincoln Park early Saturday, police said.

Veronica Lopez and a 28-year-old man were in a vehicle in the 2400 block of North Lake Shore Drive just before 1:30 a.m. when a black Nissan pulled alongside and someone inside opened fire, authorities said.

They took themselves to Presence Saint Joseph Hospital, but the girl was later transferred to Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead, authorities said.

The man was shot in the arm and suffered a graze wound to the head, police said. His condition had stabilized.

Mark Lindsey was fatally shot late Friday in the Ashburn neighborhood on the Southwest Side. Just before 11 p.m., the 25-year-old was sitting in a vehicle parked in the 3700 block of West 75th Place when a gunman walked up and opened fire, authorities said.

Lindsey, shot repeatedly across the chest and body, tried to drive away, but crashed into another vehicle on the block, according to police and the medical examiner’s office. He was taken in critical condition to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where he was pronounced dead.

Two men were shot, one fatally, Friday afternoon in Englewood. The men were sitting on a porch just after 2:30 p.m. in the 6700 block of South Loomis when someone ran out of a gangway and began shooting at the pair, according to police.

The older man, identified as 39-year-old Shawn Ewing, was shot in the chest and pronounced dead at the scene at 2:50 p.m., according to police and the medical examiner’s office. He lived on the same block where the shooting happened.

A 26-year-old man was shot in the right leg and lower back, and was taken to Holy Cross Hospital, where his condition was stabilized, police said.

Kevin Larry was shot to death Friday morning in the Washington Park neighborhood on the South Side.

The 22-year-old was found unresponsive near 56th and Wabash about 7:30 a.m., according to police and the medical examiner’s office. He was pronounced dead at the scene. He lived in the 6100 block of South Cottage Grove.

A 22-year-old man was found stabbed to death early Friday in Englewood. Marshawn A. Cooper was found in the driver’s seat of a car in the 7200 block of South Aberdeen about 12:15 a.m. Friday, according to police and the medical examiner’s office.

Cooper, of the 3600 block of West 120th Street in Alsip, was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the medical examiner’s office. An autopsy found he died of a stab wound to the chest and his death was ruled a homicide.

One man was killed and another wounded in a shooting at Powell’s Barber Shop, a staple in the Englewood neighborhood, on Thursday afternoon. The men, ages 36 and 38, were inside the shop in the 1100 block of West 63rd Street at 3:11 p.m. when another male outside fired shots into the establishment, according to police.

Thirty-eight-year-old Gerald Sias suffered a gunshot wound to the arm and was taken to Stroger Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, authorities said. He lived in the 7200 block of South Carpenter.

The younger man was shot in the leg and was also taken to Stroger Hospital, where he was listed in critical condition, according to the Chicago Fire Department.

The week's first homicide involved an 18-year-old man who was shot to death in the Washington Park neighborhood Tuesday night. Trevonne Austin was in an alley in the 5700 block of South Calumet about 8:10 p.m. when someone walked up and shot him, according to police and the medical examiner’s office.

Trevonne, of the 7900 block of South Aberdeen, was taken to Stroger Hospital, where he was pronounced dead from a gunshot wound to the trunk, according to the medical examiner’s office. His death was ruled a homicide.

Kevin Larry found fatally shot in Washington Park

Jeff Mayes — Sat, 28 May 2016 12:50:28 -0500

Kevin Larry was shot to death Friday morning in the Washington Park neighborhood on the South Side.

The 22-year-old was found unresponsive near 56th and Wabash about 7:30 a.m., according to Chicago Police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Larry lived in the 6100 block of South Cottage Grove, authorities said.

Area Central detectives have launched a homicide investigation.

--Chicago Sun-Times Wire