WEST ENGLEWOOD — Family of Kajuan Raye, a 19-year-old man who was shot and killed by a Chicago Police sergeant, has launched a GoFundMe to cover their funeral expenses.
The family would like to raise $7,000.
Raye, who was from south suburban Dolton, was shot Nov. 23 by Sergeant John Poulos of the Englewood Police District. Poulos was responding to a call of battery near 65th and Ashland around 11 p.m., police said.
Raye ran away, with Poulos following; the sergeant said the man pointed a gun at him twice during the chase, police said. Poulos shot at the man, hitting him. He was later pronounced dead and identified as Raye by the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office.
No gun has been found, police said, and the Medical Examiner's Office said Raye was shot in his back in a homicide.
“Kajuan didn't deserve this, he was on the bus stop trying to get home to enjoy Thanksgiving with his mom and dad,” his aunt Ruby Ramsey-Betts wrote on GoFundMe.
She said that Raye had been living in Texas with her and her mother “where he did great.” When he turned 18 he decided to go back home to Chicago.
“Kajuan was a great kid with a wonderful personality and a smile you would die for,” Ramsey-Betts said.
The mother, Karonisha Ramsey, filed a wrongful death lawsuit in federal court Tuesday accusing Poulos of violating Raye's constitutional rights when he shot and killed him.
The parents and aunt didn’t immediately respond to messages.
Supt. Eddie Johnson relieved Poulos of his powers three days after the shooting, saying that "based on the little information we know at this point, I have concerns about this incident." He said he looked forward to "a methodical and impartial investigation into exactly what transpired.”
The decision pending the IPRA investigation was based on preliminary information from detectives, the unsuccessful search for a gun and the Medical Examiner's findings, police said.
According to the Tribune, Poulos was involved in a 2013 shooting when he was on his way home from his family’s bar. He saw a “suspected burglar on the rear porch of a neighboring second-floor apartment being rehabbed,” the Tribune said.
Poulos said he hit 28-year-old Rickey Rozelle on the head with the butt of his revolver after, Rozelle, a convicted felon, threatened to kill him and lunged at him while refusing to show his hands, the Tribune reported.
Rozelle was shot twice and killed. A weapon was never found, according to the Independent Police Review Authority, only a watch. Poulos was cleared by IPRA though the family has a pending lawsuit against him.
Ald. Raymond Lopez (15th) held a meeting with community organizations, churches and community leaders Monday to address the fatal shooting of Raye, which happened in his ward. Chicago Police Department Commander Kenneth Johnson with the Englewood district was also in attendance, Lopez said.
Lopez called the incident tragic and held the meeting to inform the community on the facts.
“We want our community leaders to have access to as much information as possible so that when their respective congregations or other constituencies have questions or concerns, they can answer them honestly and confidently," he said.
During the meeting, some residents said they wanted more African-American and Latino patrol officers, Lopez said. Residents said they want to increase cultural sensitivity in the police department and more community outreach by the rank-and-file officers.
Lopez said he’s planning another community meeting and he’s inviting representatives from the CPD and IPRA to answer questions.
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