Newly-uncovered audio recordings show that a suburban Chicago man who died after a physical altercation with police was begging for his life during the struggle.
A group of North Chicago, Ill. residents have been clashing with local police over the death of Darrin Hanna, 35, whose case community members say represents the most severe in a long series of excessive police force in their area.
Hanna's relatives played police-recorded audio they obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request for city council members Monday, CBS Chicago reports. In the recording, Hanna can be heard pleading for his life. "They're killing me," Hanna can be heard shouting in the tape, which was not included in original police reports on the incident.
Police officers were responding to a report of domestic battery last November and detained Hanna, who had been accused of striking his pregnant girlfriend, according to ABC. Hanna struggled with police, sustaining injuries consistent with blunt force trauma and multiple discharges of a stun gun, and died several days later.
Hanna's death was officially attributed to several factors, including physical trauma and restraint and cocaine use that exacerbated his existing sickle cell anemia, according to the Chicago Tribune. But Carr's family says police officers involved should be held responsible.
Hanna's mother, Gloria Carr, became hysterical when new photos of Hanna's face shortly before his death were displayed at Monday's meeting.
(See footage from the meeting above.)
Council members did not formally respond to the new evidence Monday, and an internal investigation into the alleged police brutality is ongoing.
North Chicago community members campaigning for more accountability in the Hanna case are planning a protest at the North Chicago Police Station April 21.