Media Downplay Important Information on Police Shooting of Suspect with Gun Charges

Legacy media outlets have drawn criticism over their framing of an incident in Chicago where a 26-year-old man was killed by police after he fired at officers who had pulled him over for a traffic stop last month, according to an initial investigation and body camera footage.

Dexter Reed was killed after police pulled him over for a traffic stop in Chicago on March 21 after officers said he was not wearing a seatbelt. When officers attempted to speak with him, Reed locked himself in his vehicle and gunfire broke out leading officers to run away from the vehicle. According to the preliminary investigation from the civilian-operated Chicago Office of Police Accountability, Reed fired at the officers first, injuring one of them and shooting at least 11 times at them.

The police accountability report said that a “review of video footage and initial reports appears to confirm that Mr. Reed fired first, striking the officer and four officers returned fire.”

Footage released from the incident shows police officers walking up to Reed in his vehicle and asking him to roll down his windows. Reed does not immediately respond, but eventually, he does and an officer asks him what he is doing. He then locks the door and rolls up the window, ignoring the commands of the officer to unlock and open the door. Then gunfire breaks out and two officers can be seen running from the car for cover as they are shot at. Reed was killed after officers responded to the gunfire.

Just in: part of more than 30 videos released this morning by @COPA_Chicago related to the “exchange of gunfire” resulting in the death of Dexter Reed last month. (Graphic)

NOTE: This is a segment of the video. The full video and all COPA materials are available here:… pic.twitter.com/73JeSAgtQd

— CWBChicago (@CWBChicago) April 9, 2024

While much of the media coverage has focused on how many shots responding officers fired at Reed and complaints of excessive police force, little attention has been paid to indications that Reed fired at police first.

The Washington Post headline read, “Police fire 96 shots in 41 seconds, killing Black man during traffic stop,” the Associated Press ran with “Deadly Chicago traffic stop where police fired 96 shots raises serious questions about use of force,” and USA Today had, “Seat belt violation ends with Black man dead on Chicago street after cops fired nearly 100 bullets.”

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The Post did not mention that investigators believe Reed fired first until the eighth paragraph while the AP leaves out that detail until the seventh paragraph. Both outlets also did not mention that Reed was facing three counts of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon and one count of possession of a firearm with a revoked FOID card, according to NBC Chicago.

Conservative commentators were quick to criticize media coverage of the incident, arguing legacy outlets were trying to foment unrest.

The crucial fact that Reed fired on police officers first, injuring one, is not even mentioned until 8 paragraphs into the @washingtonpost article by @GuinnessKebab (Jennifer Hassan). This is how the article begins, with a dishonest & inflammatory narrative that police were just… pic.twitter.com/04xt4EgfC8

— Christina Pushaw 🐊 🇺🇸 (@ChristinaPushaw) April 10, 2024

It takes six paragraphs for the @AP to mention that Dexter Reed fired at the officers first. Eight for the @washingtonpost in their article.

The articles base their reporting on the findings of Chicago’s COPA, a citizen oversight board that has authority to review “All… https://t.co/tCGfBDoL2t

— Bryan Griffin (@BryanDGriffin) April 11, 2024

Chicago Police are still reviewing the shooting, as is the civilian police review board, to determine whether the shooting was justified or not.