Chicago police say an officer involved in a fatal shooting in Humboldt Park earlier this month has been relieved of his police powers while an investigation continues. It's the latest development in a case under review by the Civilian Office of Police Accountability.
Police confirmed Officer Max Walzer, a four-year veteran assigned to the Harrison District, has been reassigned to the department’s Alternate Response Section while COPA examines the March 9 shooting in the 800 block of North Homan Avenue.
According to authorities, the incident began March 9 when officers attempted to stop a white Mercedes tied to a shooting earlier that day on the Eisenhower Expressway, where no injuries were reported. Around 5:30 p.m., police say the driver fled from an unmarked unit in the Humboldt Park neighborhood, striking a pedestrian in a crosswalk before continuing through the area and crashing into a CTA bus among other vehicles.
Witness accounts and video circulating on social media show officers converging on the vehicle as it reversed and moved toward the bus. Police say an officer fired shots during the encounter, striking the driver, later identified by the Cook County Medical Examiner as 42-year-old Derek Jordan of Chicago, who was pronounced dead at a hospital.
Chicago police say a weapon was recovered at the scene. Two officers were taken to a hospital with minor injuries, and the pedestrian struck by the vehicle was also hospitalized in good condition. COPA’s investigation remains open, and officials have not released additional information about the earlier shooting or the circumstances surrounding the use of force.