Bullet shows police lied, lawyer says - Shot man in the back and then covered it up

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/330474,CST-NWS-lopez06.article

Bullet shows police lied, lawyer says

Claims cop could not have been pinned under car when he fired

April 6, 2007

BY FRANK MAIN AND FRAN SPIELMAN Staff Reporters

A 9mm bullet recovered from the back of Emmanuel Lopez proves the Chicago Police Department covered up the circumstances surrounding his death at the hands of four officers, a lawyer for his family said Thursday.

According to Chicago Police, officer Brian Rovano fired a Smith & Wesson while pinned under the left front of Lopez's car on Sept. 16, 2005. But a State Police ballistics report shows Rovano shot Lopez in his back while the 23-year-old janitor sat in the driver's seat of his car, said Terry Ekl, who filed a $10 million federal lawsuit on behalf of Lopez's family.

Rovano could not have hit Lopez in the back from a position under the front of the car, Ekl said. And Lopez could not have turned his back toward the front of the car because he was wearing a seat belt, Ekl said.

Wants OPS replaced

"They thought this would be swept under the rug and no one would know," he said.
Four officers -- one of them off-duty -- fired 42 bullets. Sixteen struck Lopez; 13 were recovered, authorities say. Ekl said he compared a State Police bullet analysis with Cook County medical examiner's records to show Rovano shot Lopez in the back.

[ThomCat]

1. Big Surprise. Cops lie to cover their asses.

:eyes: