COPA clears officer in fatal shooting of armed 16-year-old in Pilsen
Chicago’s police oversight agency has recently cleared two officers in a 2024 Pilsen shooting incident. The Civilian Office of Police Accountability released its findings on Thursday night, stating that one officer was justified in fatally shooting an armed 16-year-old, while the other officer was justified in firing at a person who ran from the scene.
The incident took place on August 18, 2024, when Officers Jeter Stokes and Emmerick Stolz, both assigned to CPD’s Robbery Task Force, were stopped at the intersection of 18th Street and Blue Island Avenue in a marked squad car. They heard a barrage of gunfire and saw two armed individuals running into a parking lot. Alex Cortez, a 16-year-old from Plainfield, was one of the individuals involved in the shooting.
Cortez stopped, turned, and faced the front passenger side of the squad car at close range, raising a firearm to his chest. Stokes, seated in the passenger seat, fired through the front windshield and passenger side window, striking Cortez. The teenager fell to the ground and dropped a firearm beside the vehicle. The other armed individual managed to escape.
Despite neither Cortez nor the other individual firing any shots during the encounter, COPA cleared both officers of any wrongdoing. They determined that Stokes’ use of force was reasonable, necessary, and proportionate to the imminent threat. Stolz, who fired at the fleeing individual, was also cleared, as his actions were deemed to be within policy.
Following the shooting, a crowd gathered and became hostile towards the officers. Stolz was shoved to the ground while retrieving his medical kit to treat Cortez. Stokes kept his weapon pointed towards the advancing crowd, ordering people to step back. Additional officers arrived to help secure the scene.
COPA’s decision not to release video footage of the incident or identify Cortez by name was due to a court ruling handed down in 2022 that prohibits the release of video footage involving juveniles. In 2021, COPA had released evidence, including bodycam footage, in a similar case involving a juvenile, but the ruling now prevents them from doing so.
Overall, the findings of the investigation concluded that the officers’ actions were justified given the circumstances of the shooting incident. This case highlights the challenges and complexities that law enforcement officers face when responding to dangerous situations in the line of duty.
