Chicago Cop In 2003 Fatal Shooting At CTA Station Dies
UPDATED 05/06/11 6:12 a.m.
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A Chicago Police officer who shot and killed a man at the 95th Street CTA terminal in 2003 was found shot to death Thursday in his home in what appears to be a suicide.
Officer Alvin Weems, 51, was found shot to death in his home in the 4900 block of West Crystal Street, the Cook County Medical Examiner's office said. The death appears to have been self-inflicted, although an autopsy is scheduled for Friday.
Just a month ago, outgoing Ald. Freddrenna Lyle (6th) questioned the 30-day suspension and promotion given to Officer Alvin Weems as the City Council approved a $3 million settlement to compensate the family of Michael Pleasance, 23.
In the March 8, 2003, shooting, Pleasance and two acquaintances were involved in a fight at the 95th Street Red Line terminal with two other men, when the out-of-uniform Weems broke up the altercation.
With his gun drawn and his finger on the trigger, Weems was trying to subdue Patrick Anderson at the same time he turned to face Pleasance, a bystander who, the officer said, was threatening him.
Weems shot Pleasance in the head at point-blank range.
The officer initially said that Pleasance lunged at him and tried to grab his gun during the fight.
But video from a CTA surveillance camera showed Pleasance was standing off to the side and apparently trying to talk to Weems when the officer raised his gun and shot Pleasance in the face.
Pleasance "died of a near-contact gunshot wound to the head," according to a medical examiner's report.
The surveillance video was widely viewed on YouTube. A wrongful death case filed by Pleasance's family was tried in December 2007.
The Office of Professional Standards recommended Weems be fired, but then-Police Supt. Phil Cline reduced his penalty to a 30-day suspension before promoting him to detective.
In 2007, a Cook County jury awarded Pleasance's family $12 million for the shooting, but an appeals court later tossed out that verdict.
A three-judge panel said the city didn't get a fair trial because lawyers for Pleasance's family improperly referenced the city's admission that Weems' misconduct caused the death.
The Sun-Times Media Wire contributed to this report.
