(CBS) CHICAGO A Chicago family is calling for justice after the death of a loved one who was tasered by Chicago police officers. As CBS 2's Alita Guillen reports, the Rev. Jesse Jackson is joining their fight, while officers are defending their actions.
Linda Johnson said Tuesday she and her mother regret calling 911 the night her brother was killed.
"You told me what you did would not hurt him. You killed him. You know you killed him," she said.
"All of a sudden, he screamed. He said, momma they are killing me, and I ran to the phone and I called 911 saying, please send the police they are killing my son," Lula Johnson, the victim's mother, said.
Saturday night, Linda's brother, Gefrey, had locked himself in his room with a silk tree. Linda believed he was hiding drugs in the tree and threatened to call police. When police arrived, Gefrey's mother instructed them to break the bedroom door and get her son out of the house. Several police officers responded. Linda says the scene somehow went from calm to chaos. The 42-year-old was hit twice by a taser, maced once and died.
"It seems that these rough and violent cops are breaking the law and must serve and face the judgement bar as everybody else would for violent behavior," Jesse Jackson said.
Tuesday, police defended their choice to use the taser.
"This individual was combative. He slammed a couple of officers against a wall. The officers, in an attempt to gain control of him again, exercised less lethal force by using the taser," Deputy Supt. Dana Starks said.
Gefrey was disabled and could not fight back.
"They actually executed my child. They executed him," Gefrey's mother said.
Police are waiting for an autopsy report to see what exactly killed Johnson. In the meantime, they will continue to use the taser gun when necessary.
As for the family, Rev. Jackson says they will pursue legal action.
Linda Johnson said Tuesday she and her mother regret calling 911 the night her brother was killed.
"You told me what you did would not hurt him. You killed him. You know you killed him," she said.
"All of a sudden, he screamed. He said, momma they are killing me, and I ran to the phone and I called 911 saying, please send the police they are killing my son," Lula Johnson, the victim's mother, said.
Saturday night, Linda's brother, Gefrey, had locked himself in his room with a silk tree. Linda believed he was hiding drugs in the tree and threatened to call police. When police arrived, Gefrey's mother instructed them to break the bedroom door and get her son out of the house. Several police officers responded. Linda says the scene somehow went from calm to chaos. The 42-year-old was hit twice by a taser, maced once and died.
"It seems that these rough and violent cops are breaking the law and must serve and face the judgement bar as everybody else would for violent behavior," Jesse Jackson said.
Tuesday, police defended their choice to use the taser.
"This individual was combative. He slammed a couple of officers against a wall. The officers, in an attempt to gain control of him again, exercised less lethal force by using the taser," Deputy Supt. Dana Starks said.
Gefrey was disabled and could not fight back.
"They actually executed my child. They executed him," Gefrey's mother said.
Police are waiting for an autopsy report to see what exactly killed Johnson. In the meantime, they will continue to use the taser gun when necessary.
As for the family, Rev. Jackson says they will pursue legal action.
