Over 120 people protested in Chicago on Sunday over the death of a 15-year-old Black boy, who died from a gunshot wound to the head that cops claim was self-inflicted, BuzzFeed News reports.
Police said that they stopped Steven Rosenthal on Friday over the teen holding a handgun. Police allege that they chased the teen after he ran away from them and that he shot himself in his home’s stairwell.
The Cook County medical examiner confirmed that the teen died of a self-inflicted gunshot to the head, per reports.
The Chicago Police Department said that there is no proof that any of its officers used weapons against Rosenthal and that there is no video that shows when he was shot.
The teen’s family is seeking an independent investigation into his death and are rejecting the officers claim that he shot himself citing a video of Rosenthal carrying his baby brother a few hours before the incident, per BuzzFeed News. They’re requesting the Chicago PD release the body-cam footage.
“Steven was on the stairwell of his grandmother’s house on the West Side of Chicago when police officers stormed up the stairwell chasing,” said the family’s lawyer, Andrew Stroth, per the Chicago Tribune. “Within moments, these officers, without cause or provocation, shot and killed 15-year old Steven. … Based on several eyewitness accounts, these officers ended the hopes and the dreams of a talented young man with a bright future.”
Protesters were shouting “No justice, no peace” and “Let us see Steve” at Sunday’s march as they shut down traffic.
A GoFundMe page was set up by Rosenthal’s family.
