WOMAN SAYS CHA SHOOTING UNPROVOKED

A woman who was shot by a Chicago Housing Authority police officer last
year testified Monday that the officer pushed one of her relatives before
firing his weapon without provocation and wounding her during an argument
over the earlier arrest of another relative.

Fernanda Royal, 28, a resident of the Near North Side Cabrini-Green CHA
development, told Criminal Judge Dennis Dernbach that during the
confrontation with Roland Pace, 31, a three-year veteran of the CHA police
force, "He shot the gun and I grabbed myself and I said, `he shot me.' I
fell to the ground. I could hear the crowd saying, `he shot her.' "

Pace was charged with attempted first-degree murder, aggravated battery
with a firearm, armed violence, aggravated battery and official misconduct
after the May 4, 1997, shooting.

After the shooting, snipers in a nearby building opened fire on police, but
there were no other injuries. Police could not find the snipers.

The incident began when another Cabrini-Green resident told several female
members of the Royal family that a relative, Ricky Royal, had been arrested
at another location within the development during a drug investigation. The
women went to that location and engaged in a heated argument with Pace,
according to testimony in the bench trial.

Fernanda Royal, who has filed civil suits in the case, said the argument
ended in her being shot after Pace pushed one of her relatives, Tamika
Royal, and drew his gun.

Fernanda Royal testified under cross-examination that she previously had
been arrested for interfering when police arrested Ricky Royal in an
unrelated matter, but she said those charges were subsequently dropped.

Pace has been suspended from his police duties. CHA police officials said
after the incident that Pace's gun accidentally discharged when members of
a crowd that had gathered after the arrest of Ricky Royal tried to take the
weapon from him.

The trial resumes on Tuesday.

Checked-by: Mike Gogulski