Aug. 30 (UPI) — A federal jury found a former Chicago police officer guilty of unreasonable force during a 2013 incident in which he fired 16 shots into a car and wounded two teenagers.
The jury took four hours to find ex-cop Marco Proano guilty of two felony counts of using excessive force in violating the victims’ civil rights, reported the Chicago Tribune.
He faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison on each count. But the former police officer with 11 years on the job has no prior criminal history and will likely get less than the maximum when he is sentenced on Nov. 20.
Proano, 42, is the first known Chicago police officer to be convicted in federal court for an on-duty shooting.
The Dec. 22, 2013 incident was caught on dashcam video, which was first obtained by the Chicago Reporter and became a crucial piece of evidence against Proano. The video contradicted Proano’s claim that the car, which was stolen, was moving toward officers. In fact, the car was reversing away from officers when Proano opened fire.
He was fired from the Chicago Police Department in December.
“Mr. Proano’s actions are intolerable and stand in stark contrast to the hard work Chicago police officers do each day to build trust and serve our communities,” Chicago Police Supt. Eddie Johnson said at that time, according to DNA Info. “As police officers, integrity and trust are paramount to everything we do, and we will always hold ourselves to the highest professional standards.”
