Body camera footage released of deadly police shooting of Michael Craig during domestic disturbance

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Body camera footage was released of the deadly police shooting of Michael Craig, a Gresham man who family members say was a domestic violence victim.

It was the morning of Oct. 4 when the first of two 911 calls were placed about a domestic disturbance between Craig and his wife.

Craig had told his young son to ask a neighbor for help. That neighbor made the call.

"The son who's 6 years old," the neighbor said on the call. "He knocked on my door and says mom got a knife."

The second call was from Craig himself, saying his wife was attacking him with a knife.

"Hello? I need the police here. My wife got a knife on me," Craig said on the call. "She got a knife on my throat and I can't move. She gonna kill me."

Body camera video shows officers arriving at the apartment building in the 7700 block of South Carpenter. They meet Craig's son outside, who told them again what was happening.

"He said, 'my mommy put a knife to my daddy,'" said Michael Oppenheimer, the attorney for Michael Craig's family.

They had been lobbying for the release of body camera footage because they said police targeted Craig, who they said was the victim of domestic violence.

"It seems that they knew that this man was the victim from the beginning and what they did was they targeted him from the beginning," Oppenheimer said.

Bodycam video shows an officer walking up the stairs to Craig's apartment. He took out his Taser. Screams are heard and the officer also drew his firearm. A man and woman are seen fighting in the apartment.

Both the Taser and the gun are fired, hitting Craig. He goes down and a second shot is fired. Officers repeatedly check the woman for injuries, but she does not respond while Craig lays dying.

"My dad laid there like a dog and died," said Patrick Jenkins, Craig's son.

Craig's family wants CPD to reform how it responds to domestic violence situations.

"This will not be the last time something like this happens if the city of Chicago doesn't change its ways," said State Rep. LaShawn Ford.

COPA is still investigating the incident and the Cook County State's Attorney's Office said the shooting is under review by prosecutors in the Law Enforcement Accountability Division.