Maurice Granton Jr., a 24-year-old African American male, was fatally shot by Chicago Police Officer Sheldon Thrasher on June 6, 2018, during a foot chase in the Bronzeville neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois. The incident began when police observed individuals engaged in narcotics transactions under the CTA Green Line. Officers approached the scene, and a foot pursuit ensued, resulting in Officer Thrasher discharging his weapon and striking Maurice Granton Jr., who died shortly thereafter.
An autopsy by the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office confirmed that Maurice Granton Jr. died from a single gunshot wound to the back. The bullet traveled through his torso from back to front, right to left, and in an upward angle. The death was ruled a homicide. The Civilian Office of Police Accountability conducted an investigation into the shooting, interviewing numerous officers and civilian witnesses, reviewing medical records, OEMC radio transmissions, 911 calls, and conducting a forensic analysis of the evidence.
The investigation revealed that Officer Thrasher violated multiple department rules, including unlawful or unnecessary use of a weapon, incompetency or inefficiency in the performance of duty, disobeying an order or directive, and bringing discredit to the department. Thrasher failed to activate his body camera until after he had fired his weapon. The Chicago Police Board unanimously voted to terminate Officer Thrasher, agreeing that the shooting was not necessary to prevent death or great bodily harm from an imminent threat.
Maurice Granton Jr.'s family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the city of Chicago in 2018, alleging that he was unarmed when he was shot. The family claimed that Granton was running away and did not pose a threat to the officers. The lawsuit named the city and Officer Thrasher as defendants. The case has drawn significant attention and has been part of broader discussions about police accountability and the use of force in Chicago.
