(AP) — Video released in Chicago shows an officer shooting an armed suspect in the back as he sought to elude capture. The videos released Wednesday by Chicago’s independent police review board again put a spotlight on police use of deadly force. For many, shooting fleeing suspects when their backs are turned, as in the case of Anthony Alvarez, is never justified. State laws and Supreme Court precedent do permit it under certain circumstances. From the videos released by the police review board, there’s no disputing that Alvarez had a gun. It is clearly visible. But the fact that a fleeing suspect has a gun doesn’t automatically make shooting them legal. A key point of dispute in Alvarez’s case is whether he turned or was beginning to turn toward the officer when he was shot.
