Politics
6 Chicago Police Officers Broke Rules After Chicago Fire Department Employee Struck, Killed Person: Watchdog
(WTTW News)
Two Chicago Police Department sergeants and four officers failed to properly investigate after a vehicle driven by a Chicago Fire Department employee struck and killed an individual, according to the city’s watchdog.
Inspector General Deborah Witzburg did not conclude in the report released Wednesday that the CPD members deliberately covered up the fatal crash. Instead, Witzburg found that their actions prevented her office from “conducting a full and complete investigation of the incident” and resulted in “potentially pivotal information” not being communicated to CPD investigators, according to the report.
None of the CPD members involved in the incident were identified in the inspector general’s report, in keeping with the city’s rules. Five of the six officers had a rule violation noted in their personnel records, according to Witzburg’s report.
Witzburg’s report did not identify the date or location of the fatal crash.
A police officer at the scene of the crash “failed to document statements made by the driver,” according to Witzburg’s report. That officer also deactivated their body-worn camera in violation of CPD policy, according to the report.
A second officer failed to interview or identify a witness to the crash who spoke to the driver of the CFD vehicle, according to Witzburg’s report. That officer also deactivated their body-worn camera in violation of CPD policy, according to the report.
Two other officers who took the driver to a hospital “failed to document statements made by the driver during that trip,” according to Witzburg’s report. Both officers failed to activate their body-worn cameras during that trip, in violation of CPD policy, according to the report.
A sergeant at the scene of the fatal crash failed to properly supervise the officers who responded to the incident, according to WItzburg’s report. CPD brass disagreed with that conclusion and did not discipline the sergeant.
A second sergeant who met the officers who took the driver of the vehicle to the hospital also failed to properly supervise those officers, according to Witzburg’s report.
WTTW News coverage of policing and police reform is supported by The Joyce Foundation.
Contact Heather Cherone: @HeatherCherone | (773) 569-1863 | [email protected]
