Jeffery Kemp, an 18-year-old African American male, was fatally shot by police officers in Chicago's South Shore neighborhood on April 17, 2015. The incident occurred around 10:10 p.m. when officers responded to a call of shots fired near East 71st Street and South Paxton Avenue. The officers spotted a van traveling at a high rate of speed and initiated a pursuit. During the chase, Kemp, who was a passenger in the van, jumped out and began running.
The officers followed him on foot, and when Kemp reached 74th Street, he allegedly pointed a gun at the officers. One of the officers fired twice, hitting Kemp, who died at the scene.
Following the shooting, the police recovered a handgun at the scene. The Independent Police Review Authority was on the scene investigating the incident, as is standard procedure for police-involved shootings. The van involved in the pursuit was later found crashed in an alleyway near the corner of East 75th Street and South Jeffrey Avenue.
In March 2016, Lelar Robinson, the mother of Jeffery Kemp Jr., filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the city of Chicago and two police officers. The lawsuit claimed that the officers chased her son and one of them shot him in the back without justification. According to the lawsuit, the officers disregarded Kemp's safety and there was no legal justification for the use of deadly force. The lawsuit also alleged that the investigation process was conducted improperly. The three-count lawsuit sought an unspecified amount in damages.
