No evidence of shots fired before Chicago cop shot at man on South Side: COPA

CHICAGO - The Civilian Office of Police Accountability said there’s currently no evidence that a man shot at Chicago police officers before one officer fired shots at him Thursday night in Gresham.

The police oversight agency said three officers were responding to a ShotSpotter gunshot detection alert near the 8500 block of South Winchester Avenue about 8:35 p.m. when they saw a man standing near a home and heard a loud bang. An officer then got out of a squad car and began shooting at the man.

No arrests were made and no weapon was recovered at the scene, according to a COPA spokesperson. No injuries were reported.

"COPA has not obtained any information in the early stages of its investigation that indicates a firearm was used against the officer," said Ephraim Eaddy, COPA first deputy chief administrator, in a statement.

Police initially said the man fired at the officers and later said officers saw flashes of light when they attempted to speak to the man, prompting the officer to start shooting.

The agency did confirm that body-worn cameras captured the interaction and shooting and said video footage of the incident would be released within 60 days of the incident as long as a court order doesn’t bar it.

COPA investigators are still reviewing the shooting.