A 2023 video of an off-duty Chicago police officer fatally shooting a man has gone viral again, racking up over 4.3 million views on X (formerly Twitter).
The post on X reads: “The moment when you think you got an easy robbery mark in Chicago, but it winds up being a off duty cop serving up a helping of FAFO.”
The footage, released by the Civilian Office of Police Accountability (COPA), captures the moment the officer warned, “I’ll kill you,” before firing her weapon.
The Incident in Washington Heights
The shooting occurred on January 18, 2023, in the 1300 block of West 90th Street.
According to surveillance footage, the off-duty officer initially tried to de-escalate an argument between Leevon Smith and a group of people.
After the others left, the officer spoke with Smith for about a minute.
As she turned to enter an apartment building, the video shows Smith appearing to reach for her handgun.
A physical struggle broke out, leading both to the ground.
During the struggle, the officer shouted threats before firing two shots.
Smith can be heard saying, “You got me,” but the officer fired a third shot, stating, “I told your dumb— I’d kill you.”
While Smith pleaded for his life and apologized, the officer did not provide medical aid.
Instead, she called for police and told bystanders, “He just tried to rob me.”
Legal Aftermath
Smith died from his injuries two days later.
Before his death, prosecutors had approved charges against him for attempted robbery.
However, Smith’s family has since filed a $10 million lawsuit against the City of Chicago and the officer, alleging “excessive and violent physical force.”
The officer, who joined the force in June 2022, reported that she was “ambushed” and acted in self-defense after Smith tried to disarm her.
