Charges against Chicago officer who killed Rekia Boyd dismissed

The charges against the Chicago police officer involved in the 2012 shooting death of 22-year-old Rekia Boyd have been dismissed, WLS reports.

A Cook County judge ruled that there was not enough evidence to convict Chicago Police Officer Dante Servin, which would be necessary to move forward with the involuntary manslaughter charge, prompting the dismissal.

Dante Servin, the officer involved, had been kept on the force, but had been stripped of his powers and was on desk duty during the court proceedings.

As soon as the verdict was announced, the courtroom exploded. Boyd’s brother, Martinez Sutton, shouted “that man killed my sister” as other family members cried out in disbelief.

Rekia Boyd was among a group of people in Douglas Park when Servin approached and told them to keep the noise down.

There was an exchange of words before, Servin said, he saw one of the men in the group pull out what he thought was a gun.

Servin fired his gun from his car, hitting Boyd in the back of the head. She died the following day.

“Simply put: The evidence presented in this case does not support the charges on which this defendant was charged and tried. There being no evidence of recklessness as a matter of law, there is no evidence to which the state could sustain its burden of proof to the charge of involuntary manslaughter,” Judge Dennis Porter said, according to the station.

“Therefore, there is a finding of not guilty on all counts and the defendant is discharged.”