Body cam footage released this week shows a Chicago police officer yelling "I'll kill you" seconds before firing six shots into the car of 42‑year‑old Derek Jordan during a March 9 traffic stop‑turned‑pursuit in the city's Humboldt Park neighborhood, according to investigative records and video reviewed by local media and attorneys for Jordan's family.
Authorities say the encounter began around 5:30 p.m. on Mar. 9, when officers attempted an investigatory stop of a white Mercedes in the 800 block of North Homan Avenue that police believed was tied to a shooting earlier that day on the Eisenhower Expressway, where no one was injured.
According to Chicago police, the Mercedes fled the unmarked unit, and during the brief pursuit, the car struck a pedestrian in a crosswalk before continuing through the West Side neighborhood. Officials said the pedestrian's injuries were described as non‑life‑threatening, according to Block Club Chicago.
Police's Body Cam Footage
Body camera and surveillance footage show the Mercedes crashing near or into a CTA bus and other vehicles, becoming boxed in as multiple officers moved in with weapons drawn.
In the video, officers can be heard shouting repeated commands for Jordan to get out of the car as the vehicle appears to lurch and ram the bus and an unmarked police vehicle while officers stand close by.
One officer then yells, "I'll kill you," before another officer fires six rounds through the passenger‑side window into the car, striking Jordan several times, according to civil rights attorneys who reviewed the footage frame by frame.
Witnesses recorded on nearby video can be heard pleading with officers not to shoot during the confrontation. After the gunfire, body cam footage shows officers opening the car door, pulling Jordan out, and beginning medical aid on the pavement.
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Jordan was transported to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he was pronounced dead from multiple gunshot wounds, the Cook County Medical Examiner later confirmed, Audacy reported.
Police said a firearm was recovered from inside the Mercedes, but have not publicly stated that Jordan pointed or fired the weapon during the incident. Two officers were also taken to a hospital with minor injuries, and the pedestrian struck earlier in the pursuit was treated and reported in good condition, according to police statements.
The officer who fired the shots, identified in internal documents as a four‑year veteran, has been stripped of his police powers and reassigned while the investigation continues under the Civilian Office of Police Accountability, or COPA.
COPA has released multiple body‑worn camera angles, CTA bus video, and other recordings as part of its ongoing use‑of‑force probe.
Attorneys from the civil rights firm Romanucci & Blandin, who now represent Jordan's family, said they are conducting their own investigation and argue that the footage shows officers had Jordan's car surrounded and should have de‑escalated instead of firing six shots into the vehicle.
Prosecutors have not announced any charging decisions, and COPA's findings will be forwarded to the Cook County State's Attorney's Office once the administrative investigation is complete, officials said, as per CBS News.
