‘Same old IPRA,’ lawyer says after it clears Chicago cop in death

An attorney for the family of Ronald Johnson on Saturday blasted the decision by Chicago’s Independent Police Review Authority to clear an officer of any wrongdoing in his caught-on-police-video shooting death.

Michael Oppenheimer said IPRA’s decision to clear Officer George Hernandez in the fatal 2014 shooting in Washington Park of Johnson, whom the officer shot in the back as he ran away, showed the agency’s investigation was “jaded.”

“It’s the same old IPRA. Nothing has changed.” Oppenheimer said. “They disregarded a lot of witnesses and a lot of evidence. It’s a sham. George Hernandez executed Ronald Johnson.”

The agency concluded that the officer’s use of force was within departmental policy because Johnson “wielded a firearm as he attempted to evade being arrested.”

IPRA’s findings were released Friday night — a time when city of Chicago officials often put out news that might cause controversy, when it’s likely to get less attention. Mia Sissac, an IPRA spokeswoman, said the report was released as soon as it was done.

The report also said: “We want to make clear that, while we conclude here that [Hernandez] was justified in his use of deadly force against an armed suspect despite the fact that he was running away from the officers, we do NOT hold the view that Chicago police officers are always justified in using deadly force against an armed suspect who is fleeing.”

Former Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez announced in December 2015 that Hernandez would not be charged because Johnson was armed.