Body Camera Footage Of Controversial Evanston Arrest Released

EVANSTON, IL — Police released bodycam footage of the forceful arrest of a 20-year-old Evanston man last week. Local protests against police brutality and racism have highlighted the controversial incident, and a petition calling for a public investigation of the officers involved has collected thousands of signatures.

A video of the May 27 incident recorded by Trent Hunt before and during his arrest and another video recorded by a witness have been widely shared on social media. Evanston Patch obtained three videos recorded by police body-worn cameras, two written police reports of the incident and two cellphone videos.

"What happened was what usually happens in Evanston the police seen me and someone else that's cool with me and decided to pull my friend over for no reason," Hunt told Patch in a message. "I started recording they threatened me with being detained and that's really what happened and what has happened to me plenty of times in Evanston."

Hunt's video shows his encounter with Det. Lou Velez and Det. Richard Shanas around 8:30 p.m. in the 1300 block of Church Street, where the officers and another detective had pulled over a 20-year-old man.

"I can't walk? I can walk. I'm not doing nothing wrong," Hunt tells the officers when asked not to interfere with the stop.

Shanas tells Hunt to get out of the road or face arrest. Hunt walks backwards across the street and away from the traffic stop.

Four seconds after Shanas tells Hunt to get out of the street, Velez goes for his handcuffs and tells Hunt to put his hands behind his back.

"For what? For what? I'm recording y'all," Hunt says, going back onto the sidewalk. His detained friend calls out to Hunt to telephone his mom to let her know he is being arrested over a suspended license charge, and Velez walks back toward the traffic stop.

"Y'all had no reason to stop my mans like that bro," Hunt says. At this point, Velez begins walking toward him without saying anything. Hunt retreats, and Velez begins chasing, eventually tackling him in the street as Hunt repeats his assertion that he has done nothing wrong.

Hunt suffered minor scrapes "as he fell while running from EPD officers while not wearing a shirt," Velez reported. The detective said he and Officer Adam Pack "assisted Hunt to the ground and placed him into custody for his safety and ours." Hunt said his back and arms were scraped when the officers slammed him to the ground.

Velez's body camera footage reveals that he does not tell Hunt that he is being placed under arrest at any point before tackling him.

"That's illegal. I know my rights, man," Hunt says as he is being escorted into a squad car.

"You clearly don't," Velez says, "Because you were ignoring me the entire time."

According to Velez's report of the incident, detectives were in the area to conduct a "narcotics enforcement activity patrol due to complaints of narcotics activity in the area." Velez claimed to have seen Hunt "engage in what appeared to be a hand to hand transaction with the driver" and run away after making eye contact with detectives. Police have yet to release Shanas' supplemental report.

The detectives reported finding about 116 grams of cannabis within four bags inside the car. No charges or citations were filed in connection with the cannabis. Illinois residents are permitted to possess up to 30 grams of marijuana, but it may only be legally transported in a vehicle if kept in a sealed, inaccessible container.

The driver of the vehicle was charged with driving with a suspended license and ticketed for illegally parking on a roadway.

Hunt was charged with misdemeanor obstruction, disobedience, resisting, disorderly conduct and disobeying police in a public place, according to the arrest report. Hunt said Friday the charges were still pending.

Hunt's video prompted an expedited internal Evanston Police Department review in the conduct of the officers involved, Interim City Manager Erika Storlie said in a May 30 statement pledging to make the video public.

On Thursday, Mayor Steve Hagerty announced he has taken a pledge along with other mayors to review the city's policies involving use of force by police. He did not respond Friday to an inquiry about whether Hunt's arrest contributed to his decision.

According to an announcement of the pledge, Hagerty recognizes "reforms need to be made to address police violence and systemic racism within many law enforcement agencies across the nation."

A petition calling for the charges to be dropped had collected about 15,000 signatures as of Friday. It also called for a comprehensive investigation into the officers' conduct to be overseen by a public committee.

Ald. Cicely Fleming, 9th Ward, addressed the video of Hunt's arrest in a May 29 statement.

"I will continue to hold our police to the highest standards when it comes to citizen engagement. I will continue to question every citizen complaint and watch every video. I am very aware of a video circulating right now and very concerned about the visual and potential aftermath," Fleming said.

"Just as you should hold me accountable, I will hold others accountable. I will not always win, but I will always speak up. If I don't, I do not deserve to hold my seat."

Ald. Tom Suffredin, 6th Ward, said in a May 30 statement he had seen the videos on social media and a portion of the body camera footage.

"It is critical that a fair and thorough investigation that respects the rights of all involved, police officers and citizens, take place with transparency and immediacy," Suffredin said. "Our city government's credibility depends on its being honest and accountable to the citizens it serves."

Ald. Don Wilson, 4th Ward, told Patch transparency was of the "utmost importance."

"It is my expectation that all situations involving use of force be reviewed. The City Council also has an obligation to ensure that policing policies should be part of an ongoing dialogue with the community," Wilson said.

Evanston Patch has requested comment about the incident from the city's other aldermen and will update this post with any responses received.

City Clerk Devon Reid apologized for the incident on behalf of himself and all Evanston residents.

"Evanston has seen black bodies assaulted when driving their own car, riding a bike, visiting the library, petitioning to run for office, and now filming a friend interacting with police," Reid said in a statement. "Unfortunately, heartbreakingly, we know there are countless unheard others exposed to the trauma of state sanctioned violence."

The clerk said police unions and "incrementalist politicians" were major barriers to transform a "system built upon white supremacy and the belief that property is more valuable than life," and suggested a series of immediate steps to increase transparency and police accountability in town.

Storlie noted Hunt's arrest took place one day after the in-custody homicide of George Floyd, who died with a police officer's knee on his neck.

"While one incident cannot be compared to the other, we cannot acknowledge one without acknowledging the other," she said. "What happened in Minneapolis is reprehensible, and we must do everything we can to ensure that history does not repeat itself. We may feel powerless and hopeless, but we each have a personal and collective responsibility to take action to change hearts, minds and behaviors."

Hagerty is seeking to have Storlie, who has served in an interim basis since September 2019, confirmed by aldermen as permanent city manager at Monday's City Council meeting. He has also placed on the agenda an amendment to the city's code to make it more difficult for aldermen to remove a city manager.