Highland Park Hospital police shooting surveillance video released

Karen Jordan Image
Wednesday, November 19, 2014
Hospital police shooting video released
Police have released surveillance video from a suburban hospital that was the scene of a fatal shooting.

HIGHLAND PARK, Ill. (WLS) -- Police released surveillance video Wednesday from a suburban hospital that was the scene of a fatal police shooting.

Police officers shot and killed Christopher Anderson in the emergency room of NorthShore Highland Park Hospital earlier this month, where he and his daughter were being treated.

Medical staff in the emergency room of Highland Park Hospital are seen running for cover in newly-released video footage of the police shooting of Christopher Anderson.

The 27-year-old Waukegan man and his 9-year-old daughter had been taken to the hospital with minor injuries they sustained in a car accident on the night of November 2.

Investigators say Anderson became agitated and aggressive toward hospital staff early in the morning on November 3. He withdrew a handgun from his waistband and refused to drop it. Two Highland Park officers fired 9 shots in less than 2 seconds.

"They killed him, they murdered him like a pure animal. And then they're joking about it, it's nothing funny about that," said LaDonna Rhyan, the victim's girlfriend.

Anderson's family had been calling for the release of the video and questioned whether the shooting was justified. The Lake County state's attorney's office ruled that it was.

In the video, a few minutes after people ran from the room, Anderson is seen being wheeled on a gurney. Medical staff attempted to save his life, but he was pronounced dead a few minutes later.

"They said, well we tried to resuscitate him? Well, when did you try to resuscitate him - 5 minutes after he was shot? Three minutes after he was shot?" said Maurice Hood, the victim's cousin.

The family says after watching the video, they still don't know what caused the situation to escalate. They say they are considering taking legal action.