Light 'Em Up

Death on the Sidewalk in The Windy City. The Killing of Leevon Smith. Self-defense or 2nd Degree Murder?

April 19, 2023 Phillip Rizzo Season 4 Episode 6
Light 'Em Up
Death on the Sidewalk in The Windy City. The Killing of Leevon Smith. Self-defense or 2nd Degree Murder?
Show Notes

Welcome to this incendiary episode of Light ‘Em Up!

Tonight, on this explosive investigative edition we examine the death of Leevon Smith.
We’re certain that his name won’t ring a bell.

BANG!  BANG! BANG!  On January 18th, 2023 Smith was shot 3 times at point-blank range on a sidewalk near the 1300 block of West 90th Street in Chicago by off-duty Chicago police officer Precious Dunn.

Levon Smith grabbed Precious Dunn. Were his intentions to rob her or assault her?  He shouldn’t have grabbed her.  Beyond that we can’t speak for him, nor can he – he is dead.

You will see on video, suddenly, and without warning, Leevon Smith grabs Dunn around her upper body.  Is he trying to take her gun?  Did he even know she had a gun?  He certainly found out quickly that she was armed.

You can audibly hear him call her a b*tch.  The video will show a life and death struggle ensued.

BANG!  Dunn shouts, “I’ll kill you, watch this”! 2 more shots ring out. 

In this episode – we deliver the exclusive raw, agony-filled audio of Leevon Smith after each individual shot – as he lay on the ground bleeding out. We’ll provide a link so you can have an eyewitness view of the video of the shooting taken from a nearby surveillance camera.

Many people commenting on this case on social media have expressed that “Leevon Smith got what he deserved.” Others feel what the off-duty female cop delivered went beyond self-defense and in a blink of an eye became “street justice” – stepping over the line from being proportional and justifiable force.

As a case study we will examine not only the specific fact pattern in this case, but also, we hope to educate you, (our listeners), on crucial facts that you need to know.

We’ll unpack what exactly are the “3 prongs” of Graham v Conner as they apply to the lawful use of force by law enforcement officers. We endeavor to clarify the narrow and very limited prohibitions imposed on police and the use of force.

We challenge you to think critically about the myriad of legal questions that this unique case poses as you listen in:  We want to involve you actively and directly.

● Was Precious Dunn acting as a private citizen or in her capacity as a police officer?

● Will the fact that she failed to render any aid to her victim expose her to any criminal liability?

● Will this shooting be ruled as a justifiable homicide?

● Will she or should she be indicted?

● Was the use of force necessary, objectively reasonable, proportional and lawful?

● Was this an overt act of self-defense protected within the framework of the current law or did the off-duty Chicago Police Officer step over the legal boundaries for what is permitted by law and commit 2nd degree murder, exposing herself to criminal liability?

We examine what exactly is the “reasonableness standard” of the 4th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution that influences police behavior today.  This is a must listen for ALL, especially for individuals of color, as the 6th leading cause of death among black men comes at the hands of a law enforcement officer.

We advise you ahead of time, you will hear coarse language and you will hear gunshots in the audio clip that are extremely loud; anticipate them and be forewarned.

This investigation is currently on-going and it may take as much as 18 months in order to complete.

Please send this episode to a friend.  We want to hear from you!  Share your thoughts at prizzo@rpgconsultingltd.com

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