The rules that govern when — and how — Chicago police officers can use force against members of the public are complicated and subject to interpretation, despite years of efforts to make it less likely that an altercation between an officer and a Chicagoan turns deadly.

Those rules, crafted by officials after decades of Chicago Police Department scandals alleging misconduct and brutality, now face new scrutiny after officers shot and killed Dexter Reed on March 21. Preliminary evidence “appears to confirm” that Reed fired first, wounding an officer, before four officers responded by firing 96 shots in a matter of 41 seconds, according to the Civilian Office of Police Accountability, the agency known as COPA that is charged with investigating police misconduct.

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