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Tracey Watson

Gender : Male

Age : 35

Race : Black

Date : 05/27/2024

Location : 300-block of South Cicero Avenue

City : Chicago

County : Cook

State : Illinois

Agency : Chicago Police Department

Officer(s) :Not Disclosed

Cause of Death : Gunshot

Event : Killed by police after being attacked

OPEN RECORDS SUMMARY :

On May 27, 2024, at approximately 11:10 p.m., Chicago Police Department officers on routine patrol in the 300 block of South Cicero Avenue observed Tracey Watson, 35, allegedly attempting to stab another man in the street. Officers exited their vehicle and, according to official reports, issued verbal commands for Watson to drop his weapon. When he reportedly failed to comply and continued the attack, two officers discharged their firearms, striking both Watson and the victim. Watson was transported to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The victim was taken to Stroger Hospital in critical condition.
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Watson's family contests the police account, asserting that he was defending himself and his cousin from an unprovoked attack. According to Daniel Henry, Watson's cousin, the incident began when two men confronted Watson about urinating in public, leading to one of them punching Watson in the face. Henry states that as Watson and his cousin pursued the assailants, the men attacked again, hitting Watson with a bottle. Henry claims that the attackers then flagged down a passing police car, falsely alleging that Watson's cousin had a gun. The family argues that Watson was acting in self-defense when police arrived and that officers did not issue commands before opening fire.
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The Civilian Office of Police Accountability (COPA) is investigating the incident and has released body-worn camera footage showing the moments leading up to the shooting. The video depicts officers arriving at the scene, observing Watson allegedly attacking another individual, and subsequently discharging their firearms. COPA's preliminary statement indicates that officers gave verbal commands for Watson to drop his weapon, which he did not heed, prompting the use of deadly force.
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This incident has sparked controversy, with Watson's family disputing the police narrative and calling for accountability. The investigation by COPA is ongoing, and the involved officers have been placed on routine administrative duties for a minimum of 30 days, per departmental policy.
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NUMBER OF CASUALTIES DURING THIS POLICE ENCOUNTER: 1 fatality, 1 injury.
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Last update: 12/05/2024

SOURCE LINKS :

https://abc7chicago.com/post/south-austin-chicago-police-fatal-shooting-family-speaks-out/14889006/
https://cwbchicago.com/2024/05/man-killed-by-cpd-while-stabbing-a-victim-in-front-of-officers-had-been-ordered-to-drop-his-knife-cpd-copa-say-his-family-disagrees.html
https://news.wttw.com/2024/07/02/copa-publishes-body-cam-video-chicago-police-shooting-left-1-dead-1-injured-after
https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/video-shows-fatal-chicago-police-shooting-during-knife-attack
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jSGp-ZnMjss