Joshua Beal
Joshua Beal
Joshua "Josh" Beal was a resident of Indianapolis.
He was shot and killed in a confrontation with police in November 2016 while leaving a funeral. He was angaged to be married.
Beal was previously convicted of misdemeanor battery after he was involved in a road rage incident involving a gun in Indiana.
Personal Life
Joshua was born in Chicago, Illinois, and raised in Indianapolis. Two months before his death, he proposed to his longtime girlfriend and the mother of two sons, ages 4 and 2.
Education
Joshua Beal earned his associate's degree in business administration in December 2015 from Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana and planned to enroll in Franklin University.
After university Joshua Beal planned on starting his own business.
Shooting by Chicago Police Dept.
On November 5, 2016 Joshua Beal was fatally shot by Chicago Police Dept. officers. The shooting occurred after a funeral procession during a road rage incident in the Mount Greenwood neighborhood in the South Side area of Chicago.
Joshua Beal had come to Chicago to serve as a pallbearer in the funeral of his cousin Marcus Washington who was fatally shot on October 27, 2016 in Indianapolis at the age of 26.
The shooting occurred after, several mourners left the cemetery, with some headed back to the funeral home while others, including Beal, went to visit an uncle in the hospital, relatives said.
Beal was fatally shot after he and several relatives were involved in what authorities called a road rage incident with an off-duty police officer and an off-duty firefighter.
A uniformed, off-duty Chicago police sergeant arrived at the scene in the Mount Greenwood neighborhood while on his way to work.
Both the sergeant and the officer fired their weapons, police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said.
It is not yet known which of their shots hit Josh, according to the spokesman.
Beal's sister Cordney Boxley said a man who she believed was a police officer ran her 17-year-old sister off the road.
The man exited the vehicle and "he just started shooting," hitting the windshield of a car containing Beal, who had pulled his gun when he saw the man holding a gun on their cousin.
Beal legally owned the gun and did not fire it, she said.
The confrontation started at the 11100 block of South Troy Street, when an off-duty firefighter believed the funeral procession was blocking traffic and told one of the people driving with Beal's party that they were illegally blocking the fire lane, Guglielmi said.
An off-duty Chicago police saw the argument and then became involved, Guglielmi said.
The uniformed Chicago police sergeant, who was driving to work, saw a man with a gun in his hand.
The sergeant then took out his gun, Guglielmi said.
As the incident escalated and Joshua did not drop his weapon, shots were fired, and the man was struck multiple times, Guglielmi said.
Paramedics took Beal to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, Illinois in critical condition, said Chicago Fire Department Cmdr. Jeff Lyle. He was pronounced dead at 3:44 p.m.
Beal's weapon, a handgun, was recovered at the scene, Guglielmi said.
Chicago police are currently investigating whether Beal's gun was "fired or may have misfired" during the incident, Guglielmi said.
Beal did not have a concealed carry permit in Illinois, Guglielmi said. If he had one in Indiana, it would not have applied in Illinois.
Family Reaction
Beal's mother, Tiffaney Boxley, of Chicago, said her son had a "promising" future.
"He wasn't in no gang," Boxley said.
"He was a good kid.
He was good person.
You took a child who took care of his family."
Boxley added, "I'm upset to be put in this position by the people who are supposed to be protecting us.
They're breaking my family all around me."
At a news conference Sunday night, Beal's sister Cordney Boxley, who was joined by members of Black Lives Matter Chicago, said her brother has been misrepresented.
"My brother is painted as this bad person when really he was a father, a family man who loved his kids and his family," she said.
"Justice will never be served.
Because whatever happens, he'll always get to go home to his family," Boxley said, referring to the shooter.
"I'll never see my brother again, my nephews will never see their father and my mother will never see her son."
Community Reaction
The Chicago chapter of Black Lives Matter held a protest with about 20 activists near the shooting. Hundreds of Blue Lives Matter protesters came in response to the demonstrations.
The Black Lives Matter group has offered to cover the cost of Joshua's funeral.
[1] Many of the Black Lives Matter activist reported being verbally attacked by the blue lives matter activists with racial slurs.
Kofi Ademola, a Black Lives Matter activist said:
"A young white guy [walked] up with a baseball bat," Ademola said.
"The police took the baseball bat from him.
White people are driving by and yelling at us 'nigger go home!' Get the fuck out of here!
Blue Lives Matter.' More of them got out of the car and chanted 'CPD!
Blue Lives Matter.'"