Suburban Chicago officer who fatally shot bouncer identified

CHICAGO – A suburban Chicago police chief has identified the officer who fatally shot a security guard outside the bar where he worked.

Midlothian Police Chief Daniel Delaney says fourth-year Officer Ian Covey shot 26-year-old Jemel Roberson on Nov. 11 in nearby Robbins, just south of Chicago. Delaney had previously resisted calls to release Covey’s name.

Delaney said Friday that Covey, who’s white, remains on administrative leave pending a state police investigation.

Roberson was killed while holding at gunpoint a man involved in an earlier shooting at the bar. Investigators have said Roberson, who was black, was not wearing clothing identifying him as a guard, but some witnesses said he was wearing a hat emblazoned with the word “Security.”

Attorney Gregory Kulis, who represents Roberson’s family, welcomed the identification of Covey.