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Top Cop Johnson 'Concerned' By Parts Of Paul O'Neal Shooting Videos

By Kelly Bauer | August 6, 2016 2:08pm | Updated on August 8, 2016 8:36am
 Supt. Eddie Johnson said he saw potential violations by police in the videos of O'Neal's shooting.
Supt. Eddie Johnson said he saw potential violations by police in the videos of O'Neal's shooting.
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DNAinfo/Ted Cox and Facebook

CHICAGO — Supt. Eddie Johnson said Saturday he was "concerned" by parts of the Paul O'Neal police shooting videos.

Johnson, speaking at police headquarters, said he is working to improve the Police Department and provide officers with the training they need, but he also said he saw "potential violations" in videos that show the shooting death of O'Neal in late July.

"From this incident, we see potential policy and training violations ...," Johnson said. "... I was concerned by some of the things that I saw in those videos, which is why we took the swift action we did last week to relieve three officers of their police powers."

O'Neal was 18 when he was shot and killed by a Chicago Police officer. Police have said he was in a stolen car that side-swiped a police car when officers opened fire on the car.

RELATED: Paul O'Neal Police Shooting: What The Videos Show

O'Neal was shot in his back, handcuffed and had his head pushed down by police before he died. The other person in the car with him, who was 17 years old, was not injured and was arrested, police have said.

On Friday, the Independent Police Review Authority, which reviews police-involved shootings, released videos that show what happened before and after O'Neal was shot. But police have said the bodycam was not working for the officer who fatally shot O'Neal, and there is no video that shows the actual shooting.

IPRA called the videos "shocking and disturbing," and an attorney for O'Neal's family said the videos show "cold-blooded murder."

Three officers were stripped of their powers after the shooting.

Activists took to the streets to protests police brutality after the release of the videos. They have criticized Johnson, who in recent months has said he never saw police misconduct during his nearly 30 years on the force.

Johnson said Saturday police will be "rooting out the behaviors that lost the trust of the community" as part of his goal to improve the bond between police and community members.

"Making ourselves better starts with acknowledging where we need improvement," Johnson said. "Making things better comes with hard work, and the hard work starts today."

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