A Chicago police officer is under scrutiny after firing a weapon at a young boy who was setting off fireworks, officials from the Civilian Office of Police Accountability (COPA) confirmed. The incident, captured on bodycam video, occurred in response to a ShotSpotter alert around 11 p.m. on January 25, on the city's South Side.

Officers were directed to the 8500 block of South Winchester Avenue in Auburn Gresham, where they encountered a teenager in a backyard. As one officer stepped out of the vehicle, a loud noise—initially mistaken for gunfire and compelling one officer to prematurely fire his gun—was later identified as fireworks, according to a statement from COPA. "No, it's just fireworks, it's just fireworks," the child is heard shouting in the bodycam footage after the officer discharged his weapon.

The boy, described by police on the scene as "maybe 14 or 15," was unharmed, with no criminal charges pending, and no gun was recovered at the site. In an initial police statement, officers claimed they were fired upon, but video evidence and COPA's investigation contradicted that account. COPA has since stated unequivocally that no firearm was used against the officers and emphasized the youth of the individual involved.

Following the release of the bodycam video by COPA, it was revealed that Chicago police had mistakenly characterized the incident by referring to the fireworks as gunfire and describing the boy as a "man." "COPA can confirm that a firearm was not used against the officers," Ephraim Eaddy, COPA’s first deputy chief administrator, reiterated in a statement released Tuesday. The discrepancy regarding the firearm accusation and the boy’s age calls into question the officer's description of the events.

Chicago Police Superintendent Larry Snelling highlighted the need for further information before concluding whether the officers responded appropriately. COPA has continued its investigation into the matter, urging anyone with additional information to come forward. Meanwhile, concerns over the use of force by police, particularly involving youths in minority communities, persist as this incident is scrutinized by local authorities and the public.