Chicago police officer charged with shooting at car full of teens
Sept 16 (Reuters) - A Chicago police officer who was captured on a dashboard camera firing into a car full of teenagers, wounding two of them, has been indicted on federal civil rights charges, prosecutors and local media said on Friday.
Marco Proano, 41, was charged in the indictment, which was handed down on Thursday, with two counts of deprivation of rights under color of law for allegedly using unreasonable force with a dangerous weapon, U.S. Attorney Zachary Fardon said in a written statement.
"When a police officer uses unreasonable force, it has a harmful effect on not only the victims, but also the public, who lose faith and confidence in law enforcement," Fardon said.
"Our office will continue to independently and vigorously pursue civil rights prosecutions to hold officers accountable and strengthen trust in the police," he added.
Police shootings and excessive force, especially against young black men, have become a rallying point for the Black Lives Matter movement and led to nationwide demonstrations.
The statement and indictment released by Fardon's office do not contain details of the incident which lead to the charges, other than saying it took place on Dec. 22, 2013.
But the Chicago Tribune reported that on that date, Proano was captured on videotape firing his weapon at the car as it backed away from him.
The paper reported that the police union defended the shooting at the time by saying the officer was concerned for the safety of a passenger who was being dragged by the vehicle as he tried to get out.
The city agreed to pay $360,000 to settle a lawsuit brought over the shooting by mothers of three of the teens, according to the paper. (Reporting by Dan Whitcomb; Editing by Alan Crosby)
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