Video shows Chicago police pursuit and deadly crash

CHICAGO (WLS) -- The Civilian Office of Police Accountability on Thursday released numerous video views of a deadly West Side car crash during a police chase in May.

Security and dash cam videos show the horrific collision and reveal some of the issues now being looked at by authorities.

The incident occurred on the night of Thursday, May 16, and began when CPD officers pulled over a car on West Chicago, according to the report because the driver was seen using a cellphone.

But before the patrol officers could even get out of their car, the suspect and a passenger sped away. An I-Team review of the videos and documents on Thursday found that the pursuit went sideways very quickly.

A Chicago Avenue security camera shows a red SUV coming up to make a left hand turn and then struck by the fleeing suspect vehicle as it tries to pass in the oncoming lane. The suspect car careened into a light pole and building near the corner.

The accident is visible from several angles and cameras.

Down the street a CPD POD camera zoomed in on what just happened and neighborhood residents are seen coming to the accident and trying to help the badly hurt passenger, later identified as 19 year old Gerimiah Staple, Jr.

According to a police report also released Thursday by COPA, witnesses said they pulled Staple out of the car.

As that was happening, the officers in the pursuit car are seen to stop short of the accident; bystanders visible jogging to the crash site; but the officers don't get out at that point. According to the dash cam timer, 30 seconds later they pulled the squad car up and then more than 15 seconds after that one of the officers was seen getting out of the car and walking to the accident site where Staple was critically injured on the ground.

He died at Stroger Hospital two days later.

The death was determined an accident by the Medical Examiner. The police report indicated "suspect narcotics" were found under the driver's seat of the crashed vehicle. COPA is still investigating and has not determined whether there was wrongdoing in the traffic stop, the pursuit or the accident response. A spokesman for Chicago police tonight tells the I-Team no action has been taken against any officers but that they are awaiting COPA's conclusions.