Family of Fatal Chicago Shooting Victim To Hold News Conference
On Friday to Announce their Own Investigation of the Shooting

The family of Karaka Walls, fatally shot by the Chicago Police department responding to a domestic disturbance call, has retained the law firm of Romanucci & Blandin, LLC, to investigate the shooting. A news conference will be held at the law firm, 33 N. LaSalle St., Suite 2000, Chicago, on Friday, January 6, 2012 at 1:30 p.m., to discuss the ongoing investigation and details into the scene structure which are at odds with Chicago Police Department statements. Family members will be present.

(NOTE: Visuals to be displayed at the news conference are an exterior photo of the house, a scaled diagram of the apartment with the position of each person in the apartment at the time of the shooting, and other interior photos of the unit.)

Karaka Walls and several family members and neighbors were inside the home at 9544 South Avenue in Chicago on December 28, 2011 when the Chicago Police Department responded to a domestic disturbance call at the third floor apartment unit. Police say that Karaka refused to drop a knife he was holding in his hand and eventually lunged at them, placing their lives in jeopardy, and causing them to shoot and kill Karaka in his own family home.

However, the story from a number of eyewitnesses and family who were present that night tell a completely different story. They state that Karaka, who has a history of mental illness, never lunged at police, never pointed the knife at police and never threatened to kill anyone or harm anyone. In fact, they state the police had plenty of time to disable Karaka with non-lethal force.

Antonio Romanucci, principal at Romanucci & Blandin, LLC, has begun the investigation and asks that the Chicago Police Department and the Independent Police Review Authority take their time with their own investigation and perform their due diligence by thoroughly interviewing the people who were present during the time of the shooting.

“The unusual layout of the apartment and the location of the bullet holes that missed Karaka do not match with police accounts of what happened,” he says. “With the alleged victim of this disturbance, Kenny Jones, safely away from Karaka, the police had an open and clear opportunity to take him down with non-lethal force. We have an eyewitness who was standing mere feet away from one of the officers who saw a Taser in his hand. In an instant the shooting began and it was too late for Karaka.”