Chicago cop charged with murder in fatal off-duty shooting
CHICAGO — A Chicago police officer was charged Wednesday with first-degree murder in the shooting of an unarmed man during a dispute between the two earlier this month.
Authorities say Lowell Houser, 57, was off-duty when he became involved in a confrontation with Jose Nieves, 38, on Jan. 2. Police later said Nieves did not have a weapon. Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson has said the officer and Nieves were involved in a prior confrontation.
Houser, a 28-year veteran assigned to the transit detail, is scheduled to appear for a bond hearing Thursday. He was stripped of his police powers one day after the shooting. It wasn’t immediately known whether Houser has obtained legal representation.
The charge comes days after the U.S. Justice Department released a scathing report on the Chicago Police Department, concluding it frequently used excessive force. The department was also criticized for employing badly trained and supervised officers who have little fear of discipline from the city’s flawed disciplinary authorities.