I drove by around 7:30 am and saw a fire truck and police. At the time I thought it was just a fire or something of that nature. The building had yellow tape when I returned a couple hours later. Rather disturbing news. I can only guess if this was a domestic disturbance at this time.

I pray it wss a justified murder. The officer must be extremely upset.

Self defense is not murder; good job HPD.

We have extremely tolerant police officers in this community, and we have had a very low incidence of violence compared to neighboring communities.

go homewood

I wonder if there was any leads to the cause of the death. I really would like to know

no doubt this could have been handled in a way without loss of life.

Could Patch link this story to the stories about what residents think Homewood needs? How about a better class of resident?

the only justification for police officers shooting a guy is if he was threatening them with a gun. otherwise they should have been able to handle the situation with killing. if he threatened, then use mace or stun gun or a billy club. but the mest remedy would be able to calm the resident down and take him to the station to cool down.

I love how everyone is making comments about what HPD should have done, yet NONE of you have any facts what so ever,
Why dont you wait until you know the entire facts of the case before you start passing judgement on the HPD or the victim?

If the deceased had a gun, that would be the first piece of information released to the public. I doubt he even had a knife because the Homewood Police Department has released no information about the shooting. It is standard practice to, at a minimum, release a press release to justify the shooting. The Police Department has said nothing which indicates that there was no weapon. I hope the family sues the Village of Homewood and they obtain a large judgement. So large that all you Homewood residents that support this type of behavior feel the impact of tis tragedy with a tax increase. Maybe then you will stop rooting for unjustified killings.

The article didn't say if he did or did not have a weapon. Cook county is investigating and hopefully more information will be made to the public.

Patch is a little slow to get the news.... Sun-Times Media Wire has this news:
Officers were confronted by an occupant of the third-floor unit, and that confrontation "resulted in that occupant being fatally shot by police," according to the news release.

The Cook County Medical Examiner's office identified the man as Brandon Culpepper, 30, who lived in the apartment where he was shot. He was pronounced dead at Ingalls Memorial Hospital at 7:23 a.m.

Illinois State Police are investigating, but a state police spokesman said Sunday afternoon that no other information about the shooting was available.

The Homewood department said that the public integrity unit of the Cook County state's attorney's office is conducting an independent review of the incident.

Homewood Mayor Rich Hofeld said Sunday afternoon that he was told that investigators were still gathering information but couldn't give any specifics about the shooting.

Homewood police need more crime to fight (a testament to the better CLASS of residents who do live there) because it seems all they know how to do is generate revenue...no surprise they'd use excessive force during a real or perceived threat. The only diff between them and the corrupt police in surrounding suburbs is their whitewashed image. IF they acted in haste, IF they jumped to conclusions and IF there was any bias at all, I too hope they get a little of what they've dished out back in the way of Karma. Many times mental illness is involved in situations such as this and the police could use a lot more education in that sense. Empathy is born of personal experience many times and there are 3 sides to every story: the cop's, the victim's and the truth.

Very sad that this family lost a loved one.

Sister Elenita - since your so high & mighty then you should move.

Are any of you police officers? Do any of you really know what it's like to be a police officer? Were any of you involved in this incident? If not, then I suggest everyone wait until all of the facts are released to pass judgment on either party. A police officer involved shooting it traumatizing for both the officer & the family of the victim, and to jump to the conclusion that the situation could have been handled differently without all of the facts is just ignorant.

Good Morning! I see we have some Monday morning quarterbacks. Oh, it is Monday morning. Take a break from the criticism you were not present when it occurred.

What's with all the evasiveness? Why can't HPD at least say, "suspect aimed gun" or "wielded sword". It feels really strange when police departments withhold parts of the story claiming to be "conducting" investigations. I realize they have a job to do but if ever a cop needs to shoot down someone in self defense, the details should be relatively cut and dry. Hurry and get the story together Homewood, we're waiting.

You hit the nail on the head, QWERTY.

How 'bout them Blackhawks? They provide exact results, unlike the Monday morning quarterbacks, knowing nothing about what happened, knowing nothing other than what burps from blogs or Mr. Magoo type analysis has provided. Let's step back, wait for results of multiple investigation, not be stupid about this all.

Investigation is just a fancy word for figuring out who screwed up an why.! Lets just call it what it is.. Murder by cop or suicide by cop.. One of two is very likely.. The only way a trained police officer should ever use deadly force is when he himself is confronted with a deadly force.. These are trained marksmen where talking about.. A non-lethal gun shot should have been an option..!

Love all the bashing of the police officers, everyone hates the cops until they need them. No one has a right to judge a police officer, whether the victim had a gun or not. Unless you are in the position of a police officer you have no right to judge. All of you that hate the cops, who are you going to call when your life is threatened, a sales clerk? a bus driver? (obviously this is not a slam on any sales clerks or bus drivers, i'm just trying to prove a point. The police are necessary)

I just talked to the president of that Condo complex and got information that is not on the news. The man that was killed, answered the door with a gun pointed at the officer. The man was bi-polar and had drug problems. He told me in his estimation, the police officer was totally justified in shooting the man. He saw the gross crime scene and helped with the cleanup, The man had 2 rooms filled totally with garbage and other guns and bullets. This information is all true. The officer went into the apartment and a 6 foot 3 inch, 280 pound man was pointing a gun at him. What would you do. I would fear for my life.

Good feedback, Joel. Fear also the back stabbin' Yahoos, who fail to consider risks taken by public servants in the line of duty. They volunteer, true, but a certain amount of respect is due them for what our police do.

Most of us who have lived in Homewood for a number of years trust the police department as men and women who take their job very seriously. It's very easy for us to second guess what happened. What about waiting until all the facts are in. The fact that an outside investigating authority was called immediately says a lot.

The manager of the complex gave me the information.

Homewood police can't say anything until the state police investigation is over.

Seriously...just ignore Sister E. Nothing she / he writes shows any intelligence, just failing attempts to be witty and winning attempts to offend most thinking people.

Hey Justin, I hope your next!

Homewood just like most other areas aren't like they were 20 years ago , times change , areas change police have a lot more difficult time , people just have no fear or regard for their or others lives . Back when I lived in town there were some bad apple police who would give some of us a hard time but that was 30 years ago kids doing stupid stuff is a lot different than not knowing what waits on the other side of a door

Hmmmm... Wonder if the deceased is an HF grad?

The man grew up around 67th and Jeffrey in the south side of Chicago. Thats where his mom lives.

I think this discussion is good. A life should not be taken without some sort of investigation and explanation.

You are absolutely correct about that juvenal. I live in Flossmoor and I know that the kids next door to me only stay there during the week, the kid actually told one of my other neighbors that he doesn't live there.

LOL
Sister Elenita -you should go talk to someone :p

S. Condo manager, Jerry Torrence told me he lived alone, and his mom lives around 67th and Jeffrey in Chicago. Your information is fabricated by you or inaccurate.

The area has diminished. The High School has done a complete 180. There is no more diversity anymore. Kids are going to the high school that don't live there. They "stay" with their grandparents. I am horrified at the change that the neighborhood has made. I lived there for 15 years and had to move because there is no way I could send another child to HF. I have a senior there now and from the time my child started as a freshman to her senior year the school is COMPLETELY different.

Joel, the Condo Manager is a liar, the mother lives in the unit where the kid was shot Brandon Lived with his mother. They have been a resident for many years at that complex, Iknow them. Whoever Jerry Torrence ishe has him mixed up with somebody else. His mom has never lived near 67th and Jeffrey and what does it matter if she did, her son was shot and killed. This kid came from a upper middle class family his father is a attorney. So people stop trying to label people. Someones child is dead, that is all that matters.

Sad Story, Nothing will change the events that happened. I will personally pray for both the families of the victim and the police officers involved. Their lives will be changed forever whatever the outcome.

Dinkum, I'm not sure what your comment refers to -- is it the point that students not in the HF district should not be attending the school, or to the point that some people think HF has gone downhill in recent years? My kids got a great education there, though my youngest graduated four years ago.

Tobias said: "And anyone who goes snitching about kids' school attendance based on hearsay is kind of a jerk. It's a sad state of affairs when people have to "cheat" in order to get their kids into a decent school. I would also suggest that spending 5 out of 7 days in a place makes you more of a resident than 2 out of 7. Also, kids' perceptions of things are less than reliable - "I don't live here," could mean, "I like my dad's house better and consider it my home even though I'm only there on weekends."

I think the district wants to know about students in attendance who are not residents of the district. If the kids are with a taxpaying parent, no problem. If they are staying with an aunt or grandma who is not a legal guardian, as a taxpayer i don't agree that I should be paying for their education.

I share your belief that all kids deserve a good education. However, in Illinois schools are funded by property taxes, so only the children of the district's taxpayers, or those who are paying rent to landlords who are taxpayers, are supposed to be in our schools.

If the education is not up to par then why are people cheating to get their kids in? Naperville does not have officers following our kids around to fact check their residences. HF is a known culprit of this. Whether or not the victim attended HF or his mom lived somewhere else doesn't matter, a son is dead and an officer will have to live with knowing whether or not it was truly a justified shooting. Condolences to Brandon's family.

this man that you are all speaking of like he is an "It" was my first cousin. Please withold your judgement until you know all of the facts...which none of you do.

thanks

...and one more thing Tobias, while I agree that what the kid next door to me said to my neighbor is hearsay, I am here all day every day and know from my own observations that they don't live here, even for the majority of the week.

I went to high school with the deceased.... at HF... and from what I remember he was a nice guy.... I am 29 years old and have lived in Homewood for the majority of my life. In the past I have known a few Homewood police officers to be anxious for arrests and some just flat out rude and disrespectful. Maybe they were picked on as kids or something. It seems to be a pattern, one officer moves up or on to another organization, and another "thirsty" rookie takes his place. I can't imagine in this case lethal force was necessary. And why is it that after a week there is no information on whether the deceased produced a gun or any weapon at all? This is not something that happens in Homewood ( ever unless there are cases I dont know about ) and I can understand why the Cook County integrety investigation unit has been called in.

@baseball2002, lots of things u dont understand

No one gives A Fuck about you guys personal views on community problems. How about we pay attention to the fact that this situation is biggger than Homewood or Floosmoor. If a policeman has the guts too shoot at a human being he has the guts to be on trial. This is BS and of course if it was a white guy this probably wouldn't of happened in a neighborhood like this. The state is not stupid they know how to solve shit like this, make these anxious uptight ass policemen where cameras on them and voice recorders I betchu they will think twice about letting it ride than.

Still no statement from Homewood PD on this? How long is it going to take guys? This is really unacceptable as a community. I know they have to investigate but come on, the residents of this community should be informed what their local police are doing and why! Who do they work for anyway? It's not like I am against the PD, I do support them in most all cases but I do think they should have to answer in a more timely manner for their actions to the people they are employed by. WHAT IS THE DELAY? Are you going to let the community know when you feel like it or WHAT?

What many fail to realize is this police department has a few officers with a history of shooting unarmed civilians. Look around and you will begin to see a trend. People who have never been victimized are quick to point the finger at the victim and say "he must be a criminal or something" but regardless of what the officers personal views of the victim were, he did not deserve to die if he was not armed with a weapon. If the officer "feared for his life" as they so eloquently say to justify a shooting, why hasnt this information been released to the press. This department in it's history has one african american officer who holds a Masters degree, yet he is in patrol behind a sergeant with a high school diploma. These cops no longer call minorities "niggers" they call them "sh*theads" and think that is better. These agencies in the south suburbs have no cultural sensitivity, and they do not value the lives of minorities. Shootings such as this and the countless ones settled in Chicago should bring attention to the culture of law enforcement and how police officers view African Americans. There is a cop that was on duty, drunk and he put three rounds into a citizen even though the victim was already down and guess what, he still has his job and was only assigned to the 311 center...you tell me what would have happened if a Black cop did that,,,,,,,,,,death penalty. Homewood is about to pay up and rightfully so. LOCK THAT COP UP!

@ Dinkum, show me one sentence that isnt true about what i said. Let me disect my statement and you tell me what I fabricated: (1)They undeed have two officers for a fact that have been involved in shootings of unarmed civilians, (2) every post presented that defended the shooting referenced where his momma lived as if that has any bearing on the shooting which points to blame, (3) im sure the officer was brisked away to the hospital and advised to state that "he feared for his life", it is police protocal bro, (4) have you seen two black cops in Homewood......im waiting.....I didnt think so, (5) they indeed have a Caucasian old school SGT that has no secondary education and this is a fact, not an assertion, (6) any cop that is on this blog hiding behind another name knows for a fact that they call blacks "sh*theads" when they are patroling and amongst their own, (7) it is a fact that there is no cultural sensitivity by the arrest data and traffic stops made against minorities in this community. Although the community is nearly 60% Caucasian, and 33% African American, explain why 80% of the arrest, and traffic stops are committed against minorities.......(poaching I call it)!! Lastly point (8) I have attached a link so you can see the shooting I am referencing in which a Chicago Cop shot and killed a man while the cop was drunk on duty (http://bit.ly/UMsXjI) just to show you how invaluable Black life is to some police officers. COPLAND!!!! Be a bigot, get promoted!!

Gregory - can't let some of your comments sit - I am still outraged that the HPD has not released a statement but I'm not going to accuse them of a conspiracy just yet - stupidity, YES, disrespect to the community they are hired to support, YES. Catalyst to reform the laws? YES. All police departments should be required to issue statements within 48 hours of killing someone! Is that too much to ask???

Your comments: it is a fact that there is no cultural sensitivity by the arrest data and traffic stops made against minorities in this community.

Although the community is nearly 60% Caucasian, and 33% African American, explain why 80% of the arrest, and traffic stops are committed against minorities.......(poaching I call it)!

> You might call it poaching, others call it good law enforcement and will say this is just proof positive that minorities commit more crimes and in fact the statistics will prove it. The statistics are higher because those are the people that are committing the crimes. Duh!

Sad to think that the truth is that a large majority of crimes are committed by this 30% of the population. Look back at Homewood's history of crime and I bet you will find a huge correlation between the influx of minorities and the increase in local crime. If what you mean by "cultural sensitivity" is law enforcement should let someone off that was committing a crime because it is part of their "culture"?
If a tribe of cannibals moves into your neighborhood maybe we should show them some "cultural sensitivity" by allowing them to fry you up for the next meal???

If your "culture" teaches you it's ok to steal, cheat, rob or intimidate your way to get whatever you want instead of actually working for, learning how to or even and taking care of what you have - that is not a culture most tax paying, law abiding, respectful people will support or that we as a society can or want to propagate.

I totally don't support this kind of "cultural diversity". I am tired of all the excuses and special treatment these "diverse cultures" seem to think we taxpayers owe them. If a minority person can be elected President certainly you can find jobs that will pay your bills just like everyone else.
As far as your link about the Chicago cop goes - it isn't relevant - this is Homewood, a nice, quiet, low crime area not the projects of Chicago - at least for a little longer.

You truely dont understand my point of "cultural sensitivity" so let me educate you since you feel you understand "cultural sensitivity". When I mentioned cultural sensitivity I referenced the fact that our differences should not be labeled as negative just because you dont understand it. This is the problem with officers in your "nice, quiet, low crime area". When they see a person of color with dredlocks or saggy pants, they immediately think criminal as you may as well. When they see a car with rims, and tinted windows, the cops in your community instantly think criminal; when a person of color is driving a BMW, or a expensive luxury car, your officers think, "how did he or she afford that vehicle", instead of giving these people the benefit of the doubt, they pull these cars over and this practice generates the disproportionate statistics I referenced. These officers really get pissed when they see a Caucasian female in the car with a person of color and they "poach" and stop all those cars occupied as such. These are no excuses, these are facts CFOAM. Persons of color pay taxes out in Homewood as well. As a matter of fact, persons of color support all those businesses on Halsted and those tax dollars support those activities your communities enjoy.

@CFOAM, this cultural sensitivity comes from diversity. When the community has no persons of color in leadership, none of the people of color that are law abiding and employed that live in Homewood have their interest presented. I did not see your response to this issue. Nearly 35% minority but NO MINORITY IN ANY LEADERSHIP!!!! Awful. The HPD is a microcosim of the pervasive ideology of the powers that be in this community. Your police department looks like a police department of the 1960's. One African American and they put him on the website so that the agency gives off the perception that it is diverse. That is a joke. Stick to the facts, this lack of cultural sensitivity killed this kid. I can assure you that if that officer was confronted by "little Timmy" when he went to that house "little Timmy" would not have been killed. Is it alright for every "white kid" traveling thru Robbins, or Harvey to be stopped because those officers think they are looking for heroin....no it is not right, but this is how persons of color feel traveling thru your community to support businesses or visit our loved ones.

Here's the point you don't get G. You're slanted view of all cops (perhaps most "Whites" and how they label minorities) lacks cultural sensitivity and is racist. So you are not really any different than those you accuse (at least in terms of their life views).

But back to the original subject here. A human being has lost his life and HDP is accountable for it. Unlike you, I'll wait for the FACTS and EVIDENCE around this unfortunate incident before I pass judgement.

Cmon Dinkum.... Lets not be naive. Gregory has many valid points that deserve recognizing and are far from racist. I am a white male, I have lived in Homewood for the majority of my life and have my ear to the street. The HPD is definitely guilty of what Gregory calls "poaching"... They are an almost all white organization and I think they are in general way too overzealous... Thats not to say this is only directed at black people... They have been known to make it their mission to mess with plenty of white people labeled "criminals". However, Im sure had one of these white criminals been in the shoes of Mr. Culpepper that early morning, I dont think we'd be having this conversation. If the HPD made it a point to pull over and target the white patrons of our local bars that drive home wasted on a regular basis, people would be upset and you would again hear about "poaching". But that just doesn't happen. Its unfortunate any way you look at it. I too cannot wait to hear these FACTS and EVIDENCE... However, I have a bad feeling they will be biased and like I have said before, I STRONGLY doubt lethal force was necessary in this case!!!! As a citiczen of Homewood, I worry about the HPD and future racial tension in general... Its just a shame, period.

@bASEBALL2002, excellent point and the reason these patrons are not stopped leaving those local taverns are because the cops are usually the ones drinking at these establishments. The local trustees, and administrators also leave these taverns wasted and have no fear of being stopped because when the cops run their plates they say, "aw, thats trustee such and such" and then they turn off Dixie and pull over the first car that is driven by a black or hispanic. This agency does not feel there is no racial profiling because this is business as usual for them. It may be unintentional discrimination by the very fact that it has been accepted for so many years but now that tax payers are about to pay up, I can guarantee that folks will start analyzing their use of force policies and seek consultants on how to solve this hidden issue. Racism is a serious problem especially when those that practice it has the authority as law enforcement. Chicago PD has paid out 38 million this year already for situations like this and if the tax payers of Homewood dont want their taxes to go up because of numerous lawsuits, they better attend the next board meeting and ask some questions!!!

Sunday will mark 1 month since this police shooting and the citizens of Homewood still have no details about what happened in their community by the police force their taxes pay for. Why is that? I know dealing with the state can take a long time but I'd venture to guess if Mr Cullpepper had shot the officer at his door we would have heard about it and all the details the same day. I'm trying not to jump to conclusions but the more time this goes unanswered the more I question what is REALLY happening and how much it will end up costing Homewood taxpayers. No disrespect to the family but If this officer is trigger-happy is he still working shifts? If he saved numerous people from a crazed gunman maybe we need to have a parade to honor him??? WHO REALLY KNOWS?
I think people deserve to know the details!!!! Where is the village president? the community needs a statement!!!

@CFOAM, this agency is entering territory that it's leadership never experienced. In previous shootings, the officer shot a fleeing felon in the face and because the victim was robbing a currency exchange, it was deemed a justifiable shooting and this officer was paraded and rightfully so. The media was all over the case and Homewood offered immediae responses because it made them look like a department that "served and protected". This case is drastically different because unlike the currency exchange robbery, this offender that was recently killed must not have posed a threat as the currency exchange situation or this information would have been mentioned day one. If the Village President or Chief of Police offers a response to the questions presented, they open themselves up to rebuttal questions that they really do not want to answer. I'm sure he is placed on desk duty or something. Bottom line is this agency and surrounding agencies are being held to a higher standard because they can no longer conduct "business as usual" . This lawsuit hopefully will cause this municipality and other adjacentcommunities to self-analyze itself and see how future potential shootings and racial profiling can be prevented. It seems the only way these type of situations really change is when these towns have to fork over millions!! They will continue to be sued until they realize that diverse communities can not be policed by a predominantly Caucasian led police departments.