Seventeen-year-old DeSean Pittman, an African American male, was fatally shot by Chicago Police on August 24, 2014. Officer James Hunt fired ten shots at Pittman; the autopsy recorded several wounds to his back. The shooting followed allegations that Pittman had been involved in an earlier shooting in which a 22-year-old man was also killed. Witnesses said Pittman acted in self-defense during a confrontation, while police treated him as a suspect in the initial incident.

A vigil held by Pittman’s family and friends was broken up by Chicago Police, with reports that officers kicked over candles, used racial slurs, and arrested several mourners. Five arrestees were held in Cook County Jail after being unable to pay bond, an outcome that helped spur creation of the Chicago Community Bond Fund to assist those who cannot afford bail.

The Independent Police Review Authority and, later, the Civilian Office of Police Accountability investigated the shooting; the probe concluded in September 2017 and related materials were released in March 2022 after coordination with the family, though some details were withheld under the Juvenile Court Act. A federal civil lawsuit naming Officer Hunt and the City of Chicago alleged excessive force and questioned Hunt’s conduct; Hunt’s prior use-of-force record and recorded inflammatory remarks intensified public scrutiny.

Did anyone who knew DeSean or witnessed events around August 24, 2014 come forward with information or context that could clarify what happened that night?