Photo: Shapearl WellsFive years after Courtney Copeland died, his mother still has no idea what happened to him.The 22-year-old was driving to his girlfriend’s home in 2016 when a bullet flew through the driver’s side of his BMW, striking him in the back, reports theChicago Tribune. He sought help at a police station, but an E.R. nurse said he then arrived at the hospital in handcuffs.Less than an hour later he was dead.Last year, his mother, Shapearl Wells, told her story in an award-winning, seven-part podcast,Somebody, that followed her pursuit for answers from law enforcement and others. On Friday her search is the centerpiece of an episode of NBC’sDatelinetitled “The Story of Somebody,” which examines Copeland’s death to investigate why murders involving Black victims, such as Copeland, are solved less often than those involving white victims.The year Copeland died, Chicago logged 778 murders: 56 percent of those involving white victims were solved, according to the broadcast — but only 26 percent of those involving Black victims were.“I tell myself all the time that I will keep fighting for him, keep fighting for Courtney, until my last breath, until they bring me a convicted murderer,” Wells tellsDateline. (An exclusive clip of the episode is shown below.)“Nothing will bring Courtney back, none of this,” Wells says. “But I feel that my son deserves justice.“Without specifically addressing the effort to solve past crimes, Chicago police rolled out a new strategy this month that includes liaisons to work with marginalized communities that “needed their voices elevated,” said Deputy Chief Angel Novalez, reports Chicago PBS stationWTTW.“Arguably, this will be the most significant commitment of effort, resources and leadership to building trust in (CPD’s) history,” said Police Superintendent David Brown, according to the outlet. “This plan that we’re rolling out today is the best way to reduce crime in Chicago.“Questions still surround Copeland’s death, including who shot him in the early hours of March 4, 2016, and why — and what happened at the police station in the moments before an ambulance was summoned.There wasno blood found in Copeland’s car,TheInterceptreports. The city also initially refused to release surveillance footage showing him at the police station where he sought help.Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up forPEOPLE’s free True Crime newsletterfor breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.Wells described her son to PEOPLE in 2020 as a “happy, giving” person who was friends with everyone — including Grammy-winning musicianChance the Rapper. The pair both attended high school at Jones College Prep, where Copeland was a star basketball player.“He was just a good dude, a funny dude … just realizing that somebody had taken him … it was hard for me to deal with,” Chance recalled on theSomebodypodcast, which was created in partnership withThe Intercept, Topic Studios and the Invisible Institute on the South Side of Chicago.No one has been charged in Copeland’s death, which Copeland’s mother sees as a parallel to the death ofGeorge Floyd.“When I see George Floyd, it takes me back to day one, because he was essentially begging like my son was begging for someone to help him,” Wells told PEOPLE in 2020.“This analogy from centuries ago that Black people are three-fifths of a human being is still present in society today, and it was present in 2016 when Courtney died,” she said.“We have so much more work that we have to do,” she said. “I hope that everybody joins me in this effort for change, for us to be able to change the narrative … so it never has to happen to another Courtney again.“TheDatelineepisode “The Story of Somebody” airs Friday (10 p.m. ET/9 p.m. CT) and is part of NBC News' week-long series “Future of the Force” examining policing in America.
Photo: Shapearl Wells
Five years after Courtney Copeland died, his mother still has no idea what happened to him.The 22-year-old was driving to his girlfriend’s home in 2016 when a bullet flew through the driver’s side of his BMW, striking him in the back, reports theChicago Tribune. He sought help at a police station, but an E.R. nurse said he then arrived at the hospital in handcuffs.Less than an hour later he was dead.Last year, his mother, Shapearl Wells, told her story in an award-winning, seven-part podcast,Somebody, that followed her pursuit for answers from law enforcement and others. On Friday her search is the centerpiece of an episode of NBC’sDatelinetitled “The Story of Somebody,” which examines Copeland’s death to investigate why murders involving Black victims, such as Copeland, are solved less often than those involving white victims.The year Copeland died, Chicago logged 778 murders: 56 percent of those involving white victims were solved, according to the broadcast — but only 26 percent of those involving Black victims were.“I tell myself all the time that I will keep fighting for him, keep fighting for Courtney, until my last breath, until they bring me a convicted murderer,” Wells tellsDateline. (An exclusive clip of the episode is shown below.)“Nothing will bring Courtney back, none of this,” Wells says. “But I feel that my son deserves justice.“Without specifically addressing the effort to solve past crimes, Chicago police rolled out a new strategy this month that includes liaisons to work with marginalized communities that “needed their voices elevated,” said Deputy Chief Angel Novalez, reports Chicago PBS stationWTTW.“Arguably, this will be the most significant commitment of effort, resources and leadership to building trust in (CPD’s) history,” said Police Superintendent David Brown, according to the outlet. “This plan that we’re rolling out today is the best way to reduce crime in Chicago.“Questions still surround Copeland’s death, including who shot him in the early hours of March 4, 2016, and why — and what happened at the police station in the moments before an ambulance was summoned.There wasno blood found in Copeland’s car,TheInterceptreports. The city also initially refused to release surveillance footage showing him at the police station where he sought help.Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up forPEOPLE’s free True Crime newsletterfor breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.Wells described her son to PEOPLE in 2020 as a “happy, giving” person who was friends with everyone — including Grammy-winning musicianChance the Rapper. The pair both attended high school at Jones College Prep, where Copeland was a star basketball player.“He was just a good dude, a funny dude … just realizing that somebody had taken him … it was hard for me to deal with,” Chance recalled on theSomebodypodcast, which was created in partnership withThe Intercept, Topic Studios and the Invisible Institute on the South Side of Chicago.No one has been charged in Copeland’s death, which Copeland’s mother sees as a parallel to the death ofGeorge Floyd.“When I see George Floyd, it takes me back to day one, because he was essentially begging like my son was begging for someone to help him,” Wells told PEOPLE in 2020.“This analogy from centuries ago that Black people are three-fifths of a human being is still present in society today, and it was present in 2016 when Courtney died,” she said.“We have so much more work that we have to do,” she said. “I hope that everybody joins me in this effort for change, for us to be able to change the narrative … so it never has to happen to another Courtney again.“TheDatelineepisode “The Story of Somebody” airs Friday (10 p.m. ET/9 p.m. CT) and is part of NBC News' week-long series “Future of the Force” examining policing in America.
Five years after Courtney Copeland died, his mother still has no idea what happened to him.
The 22-year-old was driving to his girlfriend’s home in 2016 when a bullet flew through the driver’s side of his BMW, striking him in the back, reports theChicago Tribune. He sought help at a police station, but an E.R. nurse said he then arrived at the hospital in handcuffs.
Less than an hour later he was dead.
Last year, his mother, Shapearl Wells, told her story in an award-winning, seven-part podcast,Somebody, that followed her pursuit for answers from law enforcement and others. On Friday her search is the centerpiece of an episode of NBC’sDatelinetitled “The Story of Somebody,” which examines Copeland’s death to investigate why murders involving Black victims, such as Copeland, are solved less often than those involving white victims.
The year Copeland died, Chicago logged 778 murders: 56 percent of those involving white victims were solved, according to the broadcast — but only 26 percent of those involving Black victims were.
“I tell myself all the time that I will keep fighting for him, keep fighting for Courtney, until my last breath, until they bring me a convicted murderer,” Wells tellsDateline. (An exclusive clip of the episode is shown below.)
“Nothing will bring Courtney back, none of this,” Wells says. “But I feel that my son deserves justice.”
Without specifically addressing the effort to solve past crimes, Chicago police rolled out a new strategy this month that includes liaisons to work with marginalized communities that “needed their voices elevated,” said Deputy Chief Angel Novalez, reports Chicago PBS stationWTTW.
“Arguably, this will be the most significant commitment of effort, resources and leadership to building trust in (CPD’s) history,” said Police Superintendent David Brown, according to the outlet. “This plan that we’re rolling out today is the best way to reduce crime in Chicago.”
Questions still surround Copeland’s death, including who shot him in the early hours of March 4, 2016, and why — and what happened at the police station in the moments before an ambulance was summoned.
There wasno blood found in Copeland’s car,TheInterceptreports. The city also initially refused to release surveillance footage showing him at the police station where he sought help.
Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up forPEOPLE’s free True Crime newsletterfor breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.
Wells described her son to PEOPLE in 2020 as a “happy, giving” person who was friends with everyone — including Grammy-winning musicianChance the Rapper. The pair both attended high school at Jones College Prep, where Copeland was a star basketball player.
“He was just a good dude, a funny dude … just realizing that somebody had taken him … it was hard for me to deal with,” Chance recalled on theSomebodypodcast, which was created in partnership withThe Intercept, Topic Studios and the Invisible Institute on the South Side of Chicago.
No one has been charged in Copeland’s death, which Copeland’s mother sees as a parallel to the death ofGeorge Floyd.
“When I see George Floyd, it takes me back to day one, because he was essentially begging like my son was begging for someone to help him,” Wells told PEOPLE in 2020.
“This analogy from centuries ago that Black people are three-fifths of a human being is still present in society today, and it was present in 2016 when Courtney died,” she said.
“We have so much more work that we have to do,” she said. “I hope that everybody joins me in this effort for change, for us to be able to change the narrative … so it never has to happen to another Courtney again.”
TheDatelineepisode “The Story of Somebody” airs Friday (10 p.m. ET/9 p.m. CT) and is part of NBC News' week-long series “Future of the Force” examining policing in America.
source: people.com
