Christopher Middleton case: Family of man shot by off-duty officer seeks justice
theGRIO REPORT - Blanca Winters, 47, of Chicago, said it was 'a shocking moment' when she heard that her 26-year-old son Christopher Middleton was shot dead following an altercation sparked after a police officer’s motorcycle skidded into his daughter...
Pat Camden, Fraternal Order of Police spokesman, said the officer immediately identified himself to Middleton after his motorcycle hit his daughter, reported the Chicago Tribune, but Middleton allegedly replied, “I don’t give a f**k,” then punched the officer in the face. Maywood village spokesman Larry Shapiro said the officer felt he was near losing consciousness when he removed his gun and fired once. Camden told TheGrio, “Had the father simply stood there instead of attacking a police officer he might be alive today.”
However, Winters and Cordell Haggard, 25, Middleton’s cousin, who witnessed the incident, said the officer never announced himself. Having grown up with Middleton, Haggard said it’s hard to talk about his cousin’s death. “I just want it to be over soon,” he said, adding that “I’ve got to be strong for the whole family.”
“But right now, I’m just going to save it all for the trial,” Haggard said.
The incident is now under investigation by the Independent Police Review Authority, whose mission is to conduct thorough, just investigations, and according to spokesman Larry Merritt, “make sure that it’s fair and we get to an understanding, as best we can, of what happened.” Merritt said the organization hasn’t released any preliminary findings and will post a complete report when the investigation is over.
Middleton and his fiancée, Tanya Jones, were supposed to get married next week, his mother said. They had a 6-year-old son and a child on the way. According to the Chicago Tribune, Jones also witnessed the officer shoot Middleton. “I saw him take his last breath,” Jones told the Chicago Tribune. “He was a father trying to protect his daughter. He was never a violent person.”
Middleton’s family will hold his funeral on Aug. 21 at the Rock of Ages Baptist Church, 1309 Madison St. in Maywood.
Renita D. Young is a multimedia reporter based in Chicago. Follow her on Twitter @RenitaDYoung.
