Chicago policy may allow officers to fire at fleeing suspects

Chicago policy may allow officers to fire at fleeing suspects
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CHICAGO — Chicago aldermen -- not Police Supt. Jody Weis -- would decide whether police officers can fire their weapons at felony suspects fleeing in motor vehicles under an ordinance introduced Wednesday amid conflicting statements about an impending policy change.
Chicago Sun-Times columnist Michael Sneed reported the new deadly force policy scheduled to take effect Aug. 3. It was confirmed to her by police spokesman Roderick Drew, who did a subsequent radio interview discussing the new policy. But the change was apparently not cleared with the powers that be at City Hall. By midday Wednesday, Mayor Daley was telling reporters Weis' policy group had "not changed anything"-- that they are simply attempting to reconcile conflicting general orders. "That's what they're trying to figure out. Nothing more. They're just looking at it. If you have general orders that conflict with one another, you should look at it," the mayor said.

Corporation Counsel Mara Georges said Weis is "reviewing language of existing general orders and just beginning that review. . . . There has been no policy change. It is inaccurate to say anything has been issued or anything is going into effect." Either way, aldermen are not taking any chances. At Wednesday's City Council meeting, Police Committee Chairman Isaac Carothers (29th) introduced an ordinance that would require Council approval before any change in general orders concerning the use of deadly force.