Shooting Death of Man by Forest Park Cop Was Unreasonable, Racially Charged: Attorney

A lawyer and an urban youth advocate both denounced the recent death of Glendale Heights resident Marco Gomez as unreasonable and racially charged at a press conference Wednesday evening, the Chicago Tribune reported.

Gomez was shot and killed by a Forest Park police officer last Friday following a hit-and-run crash near Adams Street and Central Avenue in Chicago. Cops started following Gomez's car when they realized it was a vehicle that had been reported stolen out of Glendale Heights. Gomez was reportedly heading toward Oak Park at the time.

Gomez tried to circumvent the police by turning the car around and driving toward an officer, who had reportedly gotten out of his car in an attempt to stop the driver. The cop allegedly fired toward the moving car, killing Gomez in the process.

Tree of Life Justice League representative Eric Russell, who also spoke at the conference, brought race into the equation.

"Had (Gomez) been a Caucasian, we would have a different situation," he said, according to the Tribune. "To just believe what the police say is not something we're going to do." For more coverage of the conference, click here.

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