GARFIELD PARK — The four African-American men shot and killed by police in the last 11 days should not be "lumped" together, Mayor Rahm Emanuel said Tuesday.
Speaking at an event in East Garfield Park to tout the city's Large Lots program, Emanuel declined to address in detail the fatal shootings, but said he was confident that Chicago Police Supt. Eddie Johnson would consider each incident on its own.
"They are not all the same," Emanuel said, noting that the Independent Police Review Authority was conducting investigations of each incident. "Police are confronting very difficult situations."
Emanuel noted that police said an officer shot and killed Richard Grimes Sunday in West Garfield Park after Grimes shot a 24-year-old pregnant woman, killing her unborn baby.
"I would not lump that with" the shooting late Wednesday in West Englewood where a police sergeant shot and killed Kajuan Raye, 19, who the sergeant said pointed a gun at him during a chase, Emanuel said.
However, no weapon was recovered, and Johnson moved to strip the officer of his police powers.
Jeffrey Banks, 35, was shot and killed by police Friday in Homan Square.
Darius Jones, 26 was shot and killed by officers Nov. 18 in West Englewood after officers said they saw him shoot another man in West Englewood.
The officers involved in all of the shootings will be placed on desk duty for 30 days while the police review authority investigates the shootings, police said.
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