BREAKING NEWS
Judge dismisses sexual assault suit brought by Chicago police officer against superintendent
Read full article: Judge dismisses sexual assault suit brought by Chicago police officer against superintendentA federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed by a Chicago police officer that alleged sexual assault by former police Superintendent Eddie Johnson, who was out drinking with her the night he was found asleep behind the wheel of his SUV.
7 Chicago cops suspended for roles in chief's traffic stop
Read full article: 7 Chicago cops suspended for roles in chief's traffic stopCHICAGO – Seven Chicago police officers have been suspended for their roles the night then-Superintendent Eddie Johnson was found asleep behind the wheel of his SUV after having several drinks at a bar, according to a report by the city's inspector general released Friday. Brown's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment, and it was not clear if the suspensions have been served. Further, the officers never gave Johnson a roadside sobriety test and allowed Johnson to drive home after he did nothing more than roll down his window 2 inches. Donald, the officer who filed the lawsuit this week, has acknowledged she was with Johnson that night. Later, media reports and surveillance video from a Chicago bar revealed he had been drinking heavily that night, and Lightfoot fired him for what she said were lies about his actions.
Chicago officer sues former chief for sexual harassment
Read full article: Chicago officer sues former chief for sexual harassmentFILE - In this Nov. 7, 2019 file photo, Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson speaks at a news conference in Chicago. (AP Photo/Teresa Crawford File)CHICAGO – A Chicago police officer has filed a lawsuit alleging sexual assault by former police Superintendent Eddie Johnson, who was out drinking with her the night he was found asleep behind the wheel of his SUV. According to previously published reports, Donald was suspected of damaging her police-issued cellphone and removing its data card before investigators could examine it. Later, media reports and surveillance video from a Chicago bar revealed he had been drinking heavily that night. Officers responding to a 911 call from someone reporting a man asleep at the wheel of his idling vehicle did not issue any citations for Johnson.
Ex-LAPD chief named interim Chicago police superintendent
Read full article: Ex-LAPD chief named interim Chicago police superintendent(CNN) - Former Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck was named as Chicago's interim police superintendent by Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot on Friday. He will fill in until a permanent replacement is found for Superintendent Eddie Johnson, who announced on Thursday he would retire at the end of the year. Lightfoot said Johnson and Beck would work together over the next few weeks to build a plan for the exact timing of the handover of duties. The police superintendent said he thought he felt ill because of a change in his blood pressure medication. Thursday, Johnson said he was proud of his tenure as the department's top cop, pointing to lower rates of violent crime and officer-involved shootings.
Chicago police superintendent expected to announce retirement
Read full article: Chicago police superintendent expected to announce retirementCNN(CNN) - After more than 30 years with the Chicago Police, Superintendent Eddie Johnson is expected to announce that he is retiring, according to a department spokesman. Eddie Johnson will announce plans to retire as leader of the nation's second-largest police department," CPD Chief Communications Officer Anthony Guglielmi tweeted Thursday morning. According to CNN affiliate WLS, Johnson suggested he was considering retirement at a budget hearing earlier this week. The police superintendent said he thought he felt ill because of a change in his blood pressure medication. He told Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot that he "had a couple of drinks with dinner."
Teen charged in shooting of 7-year-old trick-or-treater
Read full article: Teen charged in shooting of 7-year-old trick-or-treaterRob Kim/Getty Images(CNN) - A 15-year-old male has been charged with attempted murder in the shooting of 7-year-old girl who was out trick-or-treating on Halloween, according to police. The teen is scheduled to appear in court Saturday to face two counts of attempted first-degree murder and two counts of aggravated battery in the shooting, which also left a man wounded. The girl, dressed as a bumblebee, was trick-or-treating with her family around 5:30 p.m. Thursday in the Little Village neighborhood when a group of men chasing another man began shooting, Chicago police Sgt. Police believe the shooting was the result of a dispute between two gangs and multiple offenders were involved, but police do not have an exact number, Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson said. Detectives recovered a firearm that may be connected to the shooting, Chicago police chief communications officer Anthony Guglielmi said via Twitter.
Chicago police tout declining crime amid spasms of gun violence
Read full article: Chicago police tout declining crime amid spasms of gun violenceGetty Images(CNN) - Chicago police on Friday touted the lowest number of shootings and homicides of any October over the last four years even as spasms of gun violence continue to plaque some communities. Overall, homicides were down 11% and shootings 10% during the first 10 months of 2019. "That is progress but it's not cause for celebration," Johnson said of the overall crime numbers. Chicago police have sought to cut gun violence through a "comprehensive, all-hands-on-deck approach with community-based organizations, street outreach groups and law enforcement collaborating and coordinating resources and strategies," according to the statement. Chicago has been singled out by critics -- particularly President Donald Trump -- for its gun violence.
Report: 16 officers participated in Laquan McDonald cover-up
Read full article: Report: 16 officers participated in Laquan McDonald cover-upVan Dyke was sentenced to six years and nine months in prison in January following his conviction of second-degree murder and 16 counts of aggravated battery with a firearm. Van Dyke fired seconds after arriving on scene and took 15 seconds to fire 16 shots. Van Dyke continued to fire, unloading every round from his 9-mm Smith & Wesson handgun. They included police claims that McDonald pointed his knife at Van Dyke, who was forced to backpedal and fired to stop an imminent threat. The deputy chief also falsely said in Van Dyke's tactical response report that McDonald "continued to approach" the officer.
Man accused of shooting Chicago officer charged
Read full article: Man accused of shooting Chicago officer chargedAlexRaths /iStockphoto.com(CNN) - The man who allegedly shot a Chicago police officer on Saturday has been charged with four counts of attempted murder in that shooting as well as the shooting of a young girl last week, police said. The 40-year-old officer with the department's fugitive apprehension unit was part of a team trying to arrest Blackman in connection with a separate shooting, Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson said. After Blackman's arrest, Guglielmi posted photos of a pistol recovered from the scene. "He posed a clear and present danger to the people of Chicago," Guglielmi said. Police say Blackman shot a woman Wednesday morning in the city's Fulton River District while he was riding a bicycle.
7 dead, 52 wounded in Chicago gun violence this weekend
Read full article: 7 dead, 52 wounded in Chicago gun violence this weekendThe worst ever weekend of gun violence so far this year left seven people dead and an additional 52 people wounded in the third-largest American city, according to the Chicago Police Department. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Justice Department are helping Chicago police investigate the weekend's gun violence, Johnson said. Chicago police have posted photographs to both Facebook and Twitter of some of the legal and illegal guns officers have seized on the streets. Automatic firearms commonly referred to as "machine guns" fire continuously with a single trigger pull until the ammunition is depleted. Ownership of a machine gun made before then requires a federal permit and registration.
At capacity after shootings, Chicago hospital stops admissions
Read full article: At capacity after shootings, Chicago hospital stops admissionsScott Olson/Getty Images(CNN) - Chicago's Mount Sinai Hospital temporarily stopped accepting patients Sunday morning because they were at capacity following a series of shootings, a hospital official said. The hospital went "on bypass" in the early morning, said Roberta Rakove, Senior VP for External Affairs. Mount Sinai Hospital is one of five trauma centers in Chicago, according to Rakove. At its height early Sunday morning, Mount Sinai had 12 trauma patients, Rakove said. Rakove could not say when Mount Sinai Hospital went "on bypass," but said it came "off bypass" at approximately 6:30 am.