​STATEMENT ON RECENT CHICAGO POLICE SHOOTINGS
(July 4th, 2018)
On Monday, July 2nd, Chicago Police Department officers shot and critically injured 17-year-old Kevon Purell just after 9:30 p.m. in the 7900 block of South Yates Boulevard in the South Chicago neighborhood as the teenager went out for dinner. Just before the shooting occurred, Kevon’s mother, Irma Burrage, gave him a McDonald’s gift card to get some food.

On Tuesday, July 3rd, Chicago Police Department officers shot and killed Terrell Eason, a father of four, who worked as a supervisor at the local Salvation Army. Friends of Terrell’s family described Terrell as someone who loved his children and was excited about spending time with them this summer. Terrell was the youngest of two siblings. While police officials claim they were “forced” to open fire, other witnesses describe how Eason was shot six times in the back. Two CPD officers were sent to the hospital for “stress and mental duress” after the shooting.

#NoCopAcademy

Chicago's Mayor, Rahm Emanuel, wants to spend $95 million to build a Police & Fire training center in West Garfield Park. We refuse any expansion of policing in Chicago, and demand accountability for decades of violence.  We are an endorsing and participating organization in the #NoCopAcademy campaign, and will fight for funding for our communities and support each other in building genuine community safety in the face of escalating attacks.
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Who We Are


​The People’s Response Team is a multi-racial, intergenerational group committed to supporting efforts to end police violence in Chicago. We seek to RESPOND as soon as possible to violence by law enforcement in Chicago, to DOCUMENT and counter mainstream media and law enforcement narratives, and to CONNECT families and loved ones of victims of law enforcement violence with resources and organizations that provide support during this traumatic time. We do not collaborate with or talk to law enforcement. 

Who We Work With
We work in partnership with Justice for Families, a working group of Black Lives Matter-Chicago that provides immediate and long-term support for families who’ve lost loved ones to police murder. Many of us are already organizing against police/state violence in Chicago as members of Assata’s Daughters, the Chicago Community Bond Fund, National Lawyers Guild - Chicago, For the People Artists Collective, Organized Communities Against Deportations, Love & Protect, and more.

Our Training
We have been trained by the Anti-Police Terror Project’s First Responders Team, a powerful rapid response team in Oakland, CA, led by Black women of the Anti-Police Terror Project. We've also received training on responsible investigations by a member of the People's Law Office in Chicago, IL.

Updated June 22, 2017. Please download & share. 

What Do You Know About Chicago Spending on Police?

Recent Resource Uploads:
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  • Qué Hacer y Qué No Hacer en la participación de espectadores (.pdf)
  • Viglar a la Policia 101 (.pdf)
  • Consejos para Vigilar a la Policía (.pdf)
  • Do's and Don'ts for Bystander Intervention (.pdf)​​

Recent Coverage: 
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Rahm Emmanuel Heckled Over Proposed $95 Million Police Academy by Colin Kalmbacher - Law & Crime, 1/20/18

Rogers Park Effort Aims to 'Ruin' ICE's plans by Odette Yousef - WMOT Roots Radio, 5/4/17

Chicago major quietly pushes for $95 million police academy by Michelle Zacarias - People's World, 10/26/17

​A workshop on 'cop watching' shows Chicagoans how to safely document police stops by Maya Dukmasova - Chicago Reader, 12/20/2016
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