On the afternoon of October 28 2024, Officer Davionta Morgan was chasing a juvenile who had been found inside a stolen vehicle and fled on foot at 4611 South Drexel Boulevard in the Kenwood neighborhood.

During that chase, Morgan said something on his body-worn camera that would define the entire investigation that followed.

He announced he was going to f*** him up when he got him. Minutes later, he did.

What Happened

Officers Morgan and his partner responded to a call about an owner who had spotted her stolen vehicle near 4611 South Drexel Boulevard.

When they arrived, Morgan spoke with security guards at the scene while his partner spoke with the vehicle’s owners.

As Morgan and the security guards walked toward the vehicle, one of the guards told him someone was inside driving it.

The juvenile exited the stolen vehicle, and Morgan gave commands to stop. The juvenile fled on foot. Morgan gave chase.

During the foot pursuit, Morgan announced on his body-worn camera that he was going to f*** the juvenile up when he caught him.

Morgan caught the juvenile on a staircase. He told him to sit the f*** down and struck him three times in the mouth area with his department-issued handheld radio.

He then told the juvenile to give him his f***ing hands while placing him in handcuffs. He called for EMS.

The juvenile confirmed that Morgan hit him in the mouth with his radio multiple times.

According to the juvenile, approximately four of his teeth were affected by Morgan’s strikes, including some being completely broken and others chipped.

Morgan’s Account

Officer Morgan told COPA that as he and the juvenile were on the stairs, the juvenile began kicking at him.

He said he perceived the juvenile throwing his arm back to strike him and that the only available hand he had was his right hand, which held his radio.

Morgan admitted to striking the juvenile three times with the radio in the mouth area. He said he considered the juvenile an assailant because he struck him and tried to defeat the arrest by fleeing, and that department policy allowed him to use his radio as an improvised impact weapon.

Morgan also admitted to saying words to the effect of I’m going to f*** you up when I get you and sit the f*** down and give me your f***ing hands.

He told COPA he used that language because, in his experience, vulgar language gets people to realize you are serious and gets them to comply.

Why COPA Did Not Believe Him

COPA found Morgan’s account unreliable on a critical point.

Morgan claimed the juvenile kicked him. Body-worn camera footage does not support that assertion. COPA found it more likely than not that Morgan’s strikes were not justified.

COPA also noted that CPD policy, while allowing a radio to be used as an improvised impact weapon, explicitly prohibits officers from intentionally striking a person in the head or neck except when deadly force is justified.

This was not a deadly force situation. Other parts of the juvenile’s body were accessible to Morgan besides his face and mouth.

Most significantly, COPA noted that just minutes before striking the juvenile, Morgan had already announced on camera that he intended to assault him.

That pre-announced threat undermined Morgan’s claim that the strikes were a spontaneous defensive reaction.

COPA’s Findings

COPA sustained both allegations against Officer Morgan.

Allegation One — Struck the juvenile multiple times with a department-issued radio in the mouth area without justification.

Allegation Two — Directed profane language at the juvenile by stating words to the effect of I’m going to f*** you up when I get you and sit the f*** down and give me your f***ing hands.

In aggravation, COPA specifically noted that the victim was a juvenile struck by an improvised impact weapon in the mouth area.

In mitigation, COPA acknowledged that events were quickly occurring, the juvenile actively tried to defeat his arrest, and it was reasonable that Morgan may have believed the juvenile attempted to kick him.

COPA recommended a suspension of 30 to 89 days.

Superintendent Gave Him 2 Days

Superintendent Larry Snelling partially concurred with COPA’s findings but reduced Morgan’s suspension to just 2 days.

That reduction from COPA’s recommended maximum of 89 days to just 2 days represents a 97 percent reduction from the maximum penalty recommended for an officer who broke a juvenile’s teeth after announcing on camera he intended to assault him.

Officer Morgan has been with the Chicago Police Department since August 31, 2022. He has received 33 awards, including three Life Saving Awards. He had no prior sustained complaints for misconduct in the last five years before this incident.

The COPA final summary report was posted publicly on August 13, 2026.