Abnerd Joseph: Selected Chicago Police Department Bodycam Videos

Video Transcript

Police Sergeant 1: "Um, I don't know what... I don't have the story of what he said happened but, you know."

Police Sergeant 2: "Yeah, but that's what he says, so what is sounds like according to the witness that the CCL carrier who is in custody downstairs what happened was he was defending himself. I guess there was some type of struggle, it's like the jewelry that the victim had on is all scattered about the [points to scene]"

Police Sergeant 1: "Oh, is that right. Ok, ok."

Video Transcript

Police Sergeant 1: "... I'll give you a buzz back."

Police Sergeant 2: "I'm guessing... I'm guessing that that its actually, um, I'm guessing that... there was a call on this guy running around."

Police Sergeant 1: "Yeah."

Police Sergeant 2: "Running around, I'm guessing, I'm guessing that Citizen X was defending himself."

Police Sergeant 1: "Yeah, right, right."

Police Sergeant 2: "So its probably..."

Police Sergeant 1: "'Cause he's a CCL holder."

Police Sergeant 2: "Yeah. It's probably not going to be a homicide, but for now... that's all I got."

Police Sergeant 1: "Yeah, you got to. It might be justifiable."

Police Officer: "She heard three gunshots at 9:35... 7:35, er, 7:34, she called police right at 7:35. She heard this guy outside for a couple minutes banging on doors, rambling. She's got recording just a.. just an audio recording banging on doors rambling 'you can't kill me, I'm all powerful.' Rambling, didn't make any sense. And the guy was banging on her door too. And that's it. I have her number."

Video Transcript

Police Officer: "We're trying to put all the pieces together."

Witness: "I'm not sure who called first. He lives right across from me, and I heard a ruckus. He was pounding violently on his own door, screaming at the top of his voice. So I called down here and said you have to send somebody up here, there is something going on in the hallway. And then I called back a couple minutes and said 'he's violent.' Because he was really violent. And then I waited and I heard him say something about the elevator and it got quiet on the 29th floor.

So that's when I want out and saw the gentleman that you took away. I think he lives on my floor. He was really upset, and he said... I don't remember what he said... oh he said 'I called 911.' And then I went back in and called down here. And that's when I came down."

Police Officer: "But you were never attacked or hit or anything?"

Witness: "No. I didn't want to open the door. I was afraid to open the door because he was really, really violent."

Video Transcript

Police Officer: "You don't recognize that guy [pointing to Abnerd Joseph]?"

Witness: "Huh?"

Police Officer: "You don't recognize that guy?"

Witness: "No, he does not live here. We walked out of our unit. He was running around calling us 'honkeys'."

Video Transcript

Police Officer:: "You..."

Witness: "So.. apparently the guy...

Police Officer: "Do you live here?"

Witness: "I do not, so the guy they are talking about on the 29th floor, he's a friend of mine. I was at my house. I received a call from my friend saying something's wrong with him, he's not ok. He was on the phone with a girl, the girl noticed he was acting weird, he was kind of losing his mind. I got a call from another friend saying go check on him. Which is why I am here right now. And then I see this! And I can't go upstairs."

Video Transcript

Police Sergeant 1: "So, did you get a story from him? No, you guys.."

Police Officer 1: "I think we have the story."

Police Seargent 2: "Did you guys Mirandize him?"

Police Sergeant 1: "What was the story real quick?"

Police Officer 2: "Uh, CCL holder... CCL holder, and they... [unintelligible]"

Police Officer 1: "Yeah, he punched a couple of people. Um, then the third guy, which was him, he started to punch him as well, and that is when he shot him."

Video Transcript

Police Officer 1: "Ok, so, do you want to write this down? Or take a picture of it? Ok, this lady...

Police Officer 2: "Is that the old lady that was downstairs?"

Police Officer 1: "No, No, this is the lady that lives right here in [redacted]."

Police Officer 2: "OK"

Police Officer 1: "She heard everything... she heard everything. She heard this guy banging on doors, umm, rambling, not making any sense."

Police Officer 2: "OK, Yeah, he was saying that he was calling them honkeys and shit, and...."

Police Officer 1: "Yeah he was saying something like "I am all powerful, you can't kill me." Rambling, and this guy was banging on her door too. Yeah, so she heard 3 shots at 7:34, and then she called police at 7:35."

Police Officer 2: "OK, the time was 7:35... OK, yeah, yeah."

Police Officer 1: "No, the room was [redacted]. And that's her phone number. She's super nice."

Video Transcript

Police Officer: "Did you see what happened?"

Witness: "No. Sorry, sorry, um, we heard it, very indistinct through the door. We heard the guy say 'I’ll shoot.' So we called down to the front desk, and, um, I was, you know cautiously looking through the peephole. I couldn’t see where they were, I don’t know whether it was more than one guy, but, um. I heard it, like, escalate, I looked through and I saw a guy in, like, a work uniform for our building. And heard the shots, and then just immediately called [unintelligible]"

Police Officer: "OK. There are casings here, so just don’t come out."

Video Transcript

Witness: "I have a video recording."

Police Officer: "Oh, you got a recording? With.. from what?"

Witness: "From this guy [points to Abnerd Joseph]"

Police Officer: "From this guy?"

Witness: Yeah. "He was rambling, saying crazy stuff."

Police Officer: "Where do you have the recording at? On your phone? "

Witness: "Yeah, on my phone."

Police Officer: "All right."

Witness: "7:34 was the gunshots"

Police Officer: "7:34 you heard it?"

Witness: "Yes. Three shots."

Police Officer: "Three?"

Witness: "Yes. He was shot, right? "

Police Officer: "Yeah, I think so. Ok, so, what... what did you hear? What else did you hear? Arguing? Oh, you have the video? Ok. [Listens to audio on phone]. Can you turn it up?"

Witness: "It is just his voice, 'cause I didn't dare to go out."

Police Officer: "Yeah"

Witness: "Basically he was rambling something about 'you think I'm weak, I'm strongest' or something."

Police Officer: "Can you hear it?"

Witness: "Maybe you can come in. "

Police Officer: "What did you hear? Do you have your ID?"

Witness: "Yes"

Police Officer: "Can I see your ID?"

[Witness gets her ID]

Police Officer: "Who is that guy [point to a photo on wall]? Is he here?"

Witness: "My husband. He's not here."

Police Officer: "Ok, it just looks like... Your last name is [redacted]?"

Witness: "Yes."

Police Officer: "First name is [redacted]?"

Witness: "Yes."

Police Officer: "OK."

Witness: "So he was very unstable."

Police Officer: "This guy [points to Abnerd Joseph]?"

Witness: "Yeah, this guy. He was rambling, very angry things about uh... banging on my door as well as well. So that's where I... and then I recorded. Then I went back and then I think I heard the gunshot. So I first called the front desk when I heard him rambling, but no one was at the front desk. And then three gunshots and I called police."

Police Officer: "OK, what's a good phone number for you?"

Witness: [gives phone number]

Police Officer: "Ok, when did you call the police? After you heard the gunshots?"

Witness: "I think after the gunshots. 7:35."

Police Officer: "Yeah, OK, 7:35. Can I try to listen to the recording one more time? There is nobody else in here right now?"

Witness: "No, just me."

Police Officer: "So this guy was banging on your door too?"

Witness: "Yeah. Hold on."

Police Officer: [Listens to recording on phone]

Witness: "Just rambling."

Police Officer: "And he was banging on your door too?"

Witness: "Yeah."

Police Officer: "So detectives are probably going to call you and just ask you the same stuff I am asking you. So keep your phone ready. We really appreciate your help. And he was banging on your door too. Was he rambling to you?"

Witness: "No."

Police Officer: "Do you know the guy?"

Witness: "No, I don't know this guy."

Police Officer: "You haven't seen him before. Ok, thank you so much ma'am."

Police Officer, to Sergeant: "She heard three gunshots at 9:35... 7:35, er, 7:34, she called police right at 7:35. She heard this guy outside for a couple minutes banging on doors, rambling. She's got recording just a.. just an audio recording banging on doors rambling 'you can't kill me, I'm all powerful.' Rambling, didn't make any sense. And the guy was banging on her door too. And that's it. I have her number."