In the center of Humboldt Park, Chicago, Illinois, a simple traffic stop involving a Black motorist escalated into a fatal confrontation, leading to the death of 26-year-old Dexter Reed and a city grappling with the consequences of police conduct.

The event, meticulously recorded by body camera footage released by the Civilian Office of Police Accountability (COPA), occurred on March 21, 2024, when undercover officers in an unmarked car initiated a stop for a purported seatbelt violation.

COPA and an external expert confirmed on Monday, April 8, that Dexter Reed, 26, appeared to have fired the first shots in the exchange that led to his death and injured a Chicago Police officer.

The body camera footage, made public on Tuesday, April 9, and comprising over 30 videos, showed that a bullet from Reed’s gun hit an officer before the altercation ended. Questions have emerged about why the five tactical officers zeroed in on Reed.

The incident unfolded on the 3800 block of West Ferdinand Street in the Humboldt Park district. Five covert members of the Chicago Police Department’s (CPD) tactical unit initiated a stop on Reed in an unmarked car. The video captured the officers asking Reed to lower his window and questioning his behavior. As Reed started to raise the window after initially lowering it, officers swiftly commanded him not to do so and to unlock the car doors, quickly escalating the situation.

COPA voiced doubt about the initial reason for the stop — a potential seatbelt violation. A press statement from COPA on Tuesday supported this account. A letter from COPA’s Chief Administrator, Andrea Kersten, to Police Superintendent Larry Snelling later that day, obtained by a local media outlet, questioned the validity of the stop, expressing skepticism about the officers’ ability to detect the seatbelt violation given their position and the tinted windows of the vehicle. This brings into question the legitimacy of the traffic stop that led to Reed’s fatal interaction.

Kersten’s letter outlined how, after officers ordered Reed to lower his windows and unlock his doors, Reed opened fire towards the passenger side, injuring an officer. Reed stayed in his car initially, later hitting a parked car, leaving his vehicle, and leaving his gun on the front passenger seat before trying to escape. Despite Reed being unarmed, the officers kept firing, hitting Reed several times until he fell. One officer notably fired three extra shots at Reed while he was motionless.

Kersten highlighted that the total of roughly 96 shots fired by the officers, particularly the 50 shots by one officer, including the last three shots while Reed was motionless, greatly questions the proportionality of their use of lethal force.

After meeting with Reed’s family, Mayor Johnson shared his grief over the loss, especially as it mirrors broader concerns about young Black men’s interactions with police. Legal expert David Harris and former CPD First Deputy Supt. Anthony Riccio weighed in, recognizing the justified return of fire if Reed shot first, and underlining crucial questions about the conduct and reasoning of the stop.

Dexter Reed’s family, grieving their loss, have voiced skepticism about the official account of his shooting, as conveyed by their attorney, Andrew M. Stroth.

Reed’s sister, Porscha Banks, spoke to the media about the deep loss her family is facing, emphasizing Reed’s important role as a brother, son, and uncle. The family, citing Reed’s ambitions and basketball skills, is calling for a comprehensive investigation into the incident. They assert that the shooting was unlawful, noting that the officers, who were in civilian clothes, did not identify themselves as police.

The medical examiner ruled Reed’s death a homicide, stating that Reed died from multiple gunshot wounds. The investigation into the shooting has become a nexus of grief, fury, and calls for systemic reform. As officials promise transparency and the Reed family demands answers, the community is left to grapple with the fallout of those 41 seconds—a brief period that has irreversibly changed lives and reignited scrutiny of police practices.

This story unfolds against a backdrop of national discussions on law enforcement’s use of force, with Chicago’s own history of such incidents under investigation. As COPA and the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office delve into the details of that March evening, the questions raised go beyond the specifics of the case, touching on the wider dynamics of policing, community trust, and the pursuit of justice in the aftermath of violence.