© 2024 Peoria Public Radio
A joint service of Bradley University and Illinois State University
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Police Say Chicago Teen Killed Himself; Family Denies Story

chicagopolice.org

CHICAGO - Authorities say a Chicago teenager killed himself after being chased by police, but his family thinks the officers shot him and they're calling for an independent investigation.

Police say 15-year-old Steve Rosenthal fled Friday when officers who allegedly saw him holding a handgun tried to question him. They say shortly after that he fatally shot himself on the back stairwell of his West Side home.

The teen's family says based on witness accounts they believe the officers shot him.

The family's attorney, Andrew Stroth, said Sunday that the officers killed Rosenthal "without cause or provocation" within moments of rushing up the stairwell. He says the family demands a "full, independent and transparent" investigation.

More than 120 people gathered Sunday to protest the teen's death.

 

The Associated Press is one of the largest and most trusted sources of independent newsgathering, supplying a steady stream of news to its members, international subscribers and commercial customers. AP is neither privately owned nor government-funded; instead, it's a not-for-profit news cooperative owned by its American newspaper and broadcast members.