On December 15, 2012, 23-year-old Jamaal Moore Sr., an unarmed Black passenger in a silver Chevrolet Trailblazer, was fatally shot by Chicago police after a vehicular pursuit in the Back of the Yards neighborhood. The Trailblazer had been suspected in a robbery; after it crashed near 55th and Ashland, Moore tried to flee on foot. Officer Chris Hackett’s police SUV struck Moore and dragged him several feet; as Moore tried to crawl from under the vehicle, Officer Ruth Castelli shot him twice in the back. No weapon was found on Moore, and he was pronounced dead at St. Bernard Hospital.

The shooting prompted immediate community outrage, protests, and confrontations with police. Witnesses said officers used racial slurs and taunted Moore’s family when they arrived. Moore’s mother, Gwendolyn Moore, and sister, Jaceta Smith, sued the City of Chicago and the officers for excessive force, wrongful death, and intentional infliction of emotional distress; in 2014 the city agreed to a $1.25 million settlement without admitting wrongdoing. The Independent Police Review Authority initially found the shooting justified but announced in 2016 it would reopen the case after dashcam footage was released. As of the latest reports, Officer Castelli remained on active duty and no criminal charges had been filed against any officers.

If anyone witnessed the crash, the pursuit, or what happened at 55th and Ashland that day, please come forward with what was seen or heard.