Chicago: Female Off-Duty Police Officer Fatally Shoots Alleged Robber amid ‘Physical Struggle,’ Video Shows

A Chicago woman who works as a police officer shot a man who was allegedly attempting to rob her last month, a newly released video appears to show.

Surveillance footage from the 1300 block of West 90th Street, released by the Civilian Office for Police Accountability (COPA), seems to show the woman speaking to a man identified as Leevon Smith. 

“As the off-duty officer began to walk away, the subject grabbed her from behind and reached for her weapon, which resulted in a physical struggle,” COPA Director of News Affairs Jennifer Rottner wrote in a press release. 

The officer can be heard telling Smith, “I’ll kill you,” to which Smith seems to reply, “You’ve got to kill me then,” according to the video. 

“As both parties fell to the ground, the off-duty officer’s weapon discharged, striking the subject,” added Rottner. 

After the first shot, Smith can be heard saying, “I’m sorry, sweetheart,” as the two remain entangled. A second shot can be heard, followed by Smith saying, “Oh sh*t! You got me, you got me.”

“You shot me for real,” he can be heard saying after the two moved outside the camera’s view. After a third shot, he says, “Damn, baby, I’m sorry.” 

“Call the police right now!” the woman can be heard saying before asking Smith, “Didn’t I say I’d kill you? Didn’t I?” 

“You thought I was playing? I told you I’d shoot you,” she reiterated. She can then be heard admonishing an onlooker who doesn’t appear on camera to call the police, explaining, “He tried to rob me. He got a whole surprise!” 

An arrest report indicated Leevon was arrested on charges of attempted robbery and aggravated battery in a public place. 

He later “succumbed to his injuries,” Rottner noted. 

The original case incident report indicated the woman was later treated for a minor laceration at Little Company of Mary Hospital.

COPA Releases Video & Other Materials From Off-Duty Officer-Involved Shooting Near 1300 W. 90th Street https://t.co/zO0p9EfeUh pic.twitter.com/Q39etRWR5p

— COPA (@ChicagoCOPA) February 16, 2023

Footage from before the scuffle shows Smith being involved in an argument with multiple other men, which the woman had helped to deescalate. 

COPA described this incident as a “third-party altercation.” 

“I looked at my cameras and saw several gentlemen near or about the alley across the street from my residence,” a witness told Fox 32 in January.

“The tussle that they had almost had me in tears because she’s a tiny little person,” the witness said of the shooting, “so I was glad she was able to keep herself together and do what she needed to do to keep herself alive.”

The Chicago Sun-Times reported that “Smith’s estate filed a lawsuit against the city and the officer Feb. 3, pushing for a judgment of $10 million,” citing, “excessive and violent physical force.” 

A tactical response report indicated the woman had acted in self-defense, having faced the immediate threat of battery. It also noted that she made several force mitigation efforts, including verbal warnings, and attempted to defend herself without using her weapon.