Tyree Davis, a 25-year-old African American male from Chicago, IL, was shot and killed by police on January 4, 2020. Davis, who had a history of mental illness, including diagnoses of psychosis, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder, had been arrested more than 50 times over nine years. On the day of his death, Davis allegedly swiped an item from a dollar store and was armed with a knife when confronted by police officers.
The incident began when officers were dispatched to a robbery in
the 2600 block of East 79th Street around 3:15 p.m. They were informed that the suspect, later identified as Davis, had a knife and may have mental health issues. Upon arrival, the officers spotted Davis, who had a knife in one hand and a glass bottle in the other. Despite repeated commands to drop the weapons, Davis fled, leading to a foot chase.
During the pursuit, Davis occasionally stopped and waved the knife and bottle at the officers. He eventually slowed down and stopped outside Margarita’s Meat Market. One officer deployed a Taser, which appeared to hit Davis, but he continued to wave the knife and bottle. As Davis advanced towards the officers, one of them fired three shots, hitting Davis and causing him to fall to the ground. Despite attempts to resuscitate him, Davis was pronounced dead at the scene.
The Civilian Office of Police Accountability conducted an investigation into the shooting. The investigation included interviews with civilian and law enforcement witnesses, review of police reports, medical records, and video footage from body-worn cameras and other sources. The Cook County Medical Examiner determined that the cause of death was multiple gunshot wounds and ruled the manner of death as homicide.
Despite the ruling of homicide, the Office of the State's Attorney for Cook County concluded that the evidence was insufficient to support criminal charges against the officers involved. The decision was based on the legal standard for the use of force, which allows officers to use deadly force if they reasonably believe it is necessary to prevent imminent death or great bodily harm to themselves or others.
The family of Tyree Davis has expressed their belief that the shooting was unjustified, citing his mental health issues and the officers' knowledge of his condition. They have filed a lawsuit against the Chicago Police Department, seeking accountability and transparency in the handling of the case.
