Cook County State’s Attorney Eileen O’Neill Burke said Wednesday she will not file criminal charges against the Chicago police officers who fatally shot Dexter Reed during a traffic stop last year, concluding there is insufficient evidence to secure a conviction. An investigative memorandum released alongside the announcement details why prosecutors believe the officers’ use of deadly force was legally justified under Illinois law. Body-camera and forensic evidence reviewed by prosecutors shows that on March 21, 2024, five plain-clothes tactical officers in an unmarked SUV stopped Reed, 26, for an alleged seat-belt violation in West Humboldt Park. After refusing commands to lower his window, Reed fired 11 rounds from inside his vehicle, striking Officer Gregory Saint Louis in the wrist. The other four officers returned fire, discharging 96 rounds in 41 seconds; Reed was hit 13 times and died at Mount Sinai Hospital. Investigators determined the entire encounter lasted about 71 seconds, with an eight-second lull between two volleys of gunfire. Prosecutors said the officers reasonably believed they faced an imminent threat throughout the exchange. Their decision was affirmed on July 7 by the Office of the Illinois State’s Attorneys Appellate Prosecutor, which conducted an independent review. The Civilian Office of Police Accountability continues its separate administrative probe, and Reed’s family is pressing a federal civil-rights lawsuit after the Chicago City Council Finance Committee in April rejected a proposed $1.25 million settlement. One officer involved has since resigned, while the others remain on administrative duty.