Chicago Police 'Authenticate' Photo of Man Appearing to Hold Gun Before He Is Shot

CHICAGO, IL -- A widely circulated photo of an African-American man said to be pointing a gun who was shot to death by an off-duty Chicago police sergeant on Saturday has been “verified for authenticity” by Chicago police, according to various news sources.

Joshua Beal, 25, of Indianapolis, was riding in a vehicle that was part of a funeral procession passing through the Mt. Greenwood neighborhood near 111th Street and Troy Avenue. The Chicago Police Department issued a statement indicating that a fight broke out after an off-duty firefighter ordered the driver to move his vehicle because it was illegally blocking the fire lane in front of the firehouse.

"The occupants exited their vehicle and a verbal and physical altercation ensued," according to police. "An off-duty Chicago police officer was inside a nearby business when he heard the commotion and attempted to assist the firefighter."

The Chicago police sergeant, on his way to work, also stopped to help. That’s when Beal was seen with a firearm in his hand, according to Chicago police. Beal had just attended the funeral of a relative who had been murdered and the procession was on its way to Mt. Hope Cemetery.

The photo allegedly showing Beal pointing a gun was posted by various neighborhood Facebook groups. Police also authenticated audio from a cell phone video where gunshots can repeatedly be heard and people screaming and crying, according to WGN.

A Hickory Hills woman who shot the video

The shooting has since sparked several demonstrations between black activists and police supporters.

Beal was convicted for his role in a 2009 road rage altercation in which he threatened and pistol whipped a man with a gun. He had a conceal-carry permit in Indiana but it was not valid in Illinois.