Mpls. man may be paralyzed after incident with Chicago police

The family of a 25-year-old Minneapolis man say he may be left paralyzed by a bullet fired during an encounter with police outside a Chicago train station.

His aunt said in Minneapolis today that Chad Robertson was unarmed at the time he was shot and was also hit by a vehicle in the street.

"He posed absolutely no threat whatsoever and with that, as well he was also hit by an automobile as well so this officer put his life in double jeopardy," said Theresa Love Williams at a press conference in downtown Minneapolis. "This officer never ever ever should have taken his weapon out and discharged it."

She said Robertson was a North high school graduate and had a 5-year-old son and a 2-year-old daughter.

Minneapolis activist Mel Reeves said Robertson was on a bus layover on his way home from a funeral in Memphis when he encountered police. It wasn't clear which agencies were involved.

"He and his friends appear to have been profiled by the police, police had asked them to to leave wherever they were," Reeves said. "We don't know what happening exactly next, tho' there were witnesses, but we do know that he was unarmed and he was shot in the back."

Chicago police say the shooting involved an on-duty Amtrak police officer and involved a man shot in the left shoulder. A statement from Chicago Police say the man shot by the Amtrak officer was transported to Stroger Hospital in serious condition and that cash and narcotics were also recovered from the male at the scene. The statement doesn't mention any weapon, other than that used by the Amtrak officer.

Chicago police say the incident is under investigation and Amtrak police are cooperating.