Chicago police shooting: Family of man killed in Lawndale speaks out after viewing bodycam video

CHICAGO (WLS) -- The family of Reginald Clay Jr., who was shot and killed by Chicago police last month, spoke out after watching body camera video of the incident.

Without a cutout of their son by their side, the Clay family was clearly shaken by the video they had just seen.

RELATED: Family demands answers after police shoot, kill armed man in Lawndale

"That's something hard to watch," said father Reginald Clay, Sr. "I feel like my heart ripped out of my chest when I saw it."

On Saturday, April 15 Chicago police said they were patrolling in Lawndale because of a shooting two weeks prior. They said officers were "involved in a de-escalation mission for a gang conflict in that area."

Clay's family said he was meeting friends on the street before heading to a funeral when police pulled up. Chicago police said that's when Clay ran from officers before being chased down in the gangway of an apartment building.

When Clay got to the end of the gangway and turned around, police said he brandished a gun and officers fired.

The Civilian Office of Police Accountability later provided a different account, saying Clay had turned towards police, but did not mention he had a gun in his hand, only that one was found at the scene.

Clay's family said Tuesday the video shows he "had dropped the gun he had," which they also said he was legally licensed to possess.

"When he got around the other corner and aw it was a dead end, and then he came around this way, I see the blood on the front of the shirt," his father said. "They had already shot him."

His cousin said that when Clay turned around, "his gun was on the porch, they shot him multiple times." His cousin asserted he never turned and pointed a gun a police.

COPA is expected to release the video to the public on Wednesday.