Politics
Suspend CPD Officer, Sergeant Repeatedly Accused of Making Improper Traffic Stops for a Combined 149 Days: Police Brass
A Chicago Police Department vehicle is parked on Clark Street near Daley Plaza on June 15, 2026. (Victor Hilitski / WTTW News)
A Chicago police officer and sergeant repeatedly accused of improperly stopping and searching Black men should be suspended for a combined 149 days for their actions during two traffic stops, Chicago Police Department leaders and the agency tasked with investigating police misconduct agreed, records show.
The Civilian Office of Police Accountability determined that two members of the tactical team that had been assigned to patrol the Near North (18th) Police District improperly stopped and searched drivers and their cars in March 2023 and October 2024, according to records published Aug. 6.
Both stops — which violated several CPD rules, the agency better known as COPA concluded — prompted lawsuits that were settled by the city with payments totaling $100,000, according to records obtained by WTTW News.
Former Supt. Larry Snelling agreed to suspend Sgt. Erick Seng and Officer Joseph Vecchio for 60 days each in connection with their actions during the Oct. 21, 2024, traffic stop, the most serious discipline they have received as investigators probe more than 50 misconduct allegations, records show.
That incident began when Eddie Wilson stopped to pick up food in the 200 block of east Ontario Street, in Chicago’s Gold Coast. Vecchio and Seng told investigators they prevented Wilson from leaving because he parked more than 12 inches away from the curb, in violation of the city’s municipal code, records show.
Wilson’s name was redacted from COPA’s report but became a part of the public record after he sued the city.
Vecchio ordered Wilson, who is Black, out of the car, searched him, handcuffed him and searched his car before releasing him without a citation, while Seng supervised the interaction, records show.
Vecchio violated Wilson’s “constitutional right against unlawful search and seizure, treated (him) in a highly disrespectful manner, and exposed CPD to civil liability,” COPA’s report concluded. “Officer Vecchio blatantly disregarded numerous CPD policies and failed to complete the required paperwork. The documentation he did complete was so sloppy and full of exaggerations as to reflect an inattention to duty.”
Wilson told COPA investigators that Vecchio belittled him during the stop and made him feel “less than human,” records show. During the stop, Vecchio’s body-worn camera captured Wilson asserting that Vecchio was violating his 4th Amendment rights by searching him and his car, records show.
Vecchio responded by demanding that Wilson define the 4th Amendment for him and then telling him that he could not even spell the word amendment, records show.
COPA concluded Vecchio did, in fact, violate Wilson’s constitutional rights.
Chicago taxpayers paid Wilson $80,000 to resolve his lawsuit, records show.
In all, 21 complaints against Vecchio have been sustained, resulting in recommended suspensions totaling at least 221 days, records show.
“Unfortunately, Officer Vecchio’s previous discipline has failed to bring about lasting change in his conduct as a police officer,” COPA’s investigation of the Oct. 21, 2024, traffic stop concluded.
Seng stood by as Vecchio violated Wilson’s “civil rights and treated him with disrespect,” COPA concluded.
“Instead of taking control of the situation, as one would expect from a supervisor, Sgt. Seng joined in the unprofessional interaction,” COPA concluded. “Sgt. Seng’s apparent belief that he is not required to respect the civilians he encounters is in direct contravention of CPD policy and suggests a troubling undercurrent in Sgt. Seng’s policework.”
Thirteen complaints against Seng have been sustained, resulting in recommended suspensions totaling 151 days, records show.
“Sgt. Seng’s previous discipline has failed to bring about lasting change in his conduct as a CPD supervisor,” COPA concluded.
Vecchio, who earns more than $111,200 annually, has been stripped of his badge and assigned to administrative duties. Seng, who earns more than $152,000 annually, is assigned to CPD’s Gang Investigation Division.
Vecchio should serve an additional 29-day suspension for his actions during a traffic stop on March 3, 2023, on the city’s South Side, records show.
During that traffic stop, which occurred in the 600 block of west 79th Street, Vecchio improperly arrested Martin Bailey for having a gun in his car even though Bailey, an Indiana resident, had a license to carry that gun and presented it to Vecchio. Bailey’s car was also impounded, records show.
The charges against Bailey, who is also Black, were dismissed two months later, and his car ordered returned to him, records show.
Bailey’s name was redacted from COPA’s report but became a part of the public record after he sued the city. That lawsuit was resolved with a payment of $20,000, records show.
Attorneys for the city are negotiating a “global settlement” to resolve 17 lawsuits naming members of the tactical team that included Vecchio and Seng, court records show.
In all, taxpayers have paid nearly $986,000 to defend and resolve lawsuits alleging misconduct by members of the tactical team, according to records obtained by WTTW News.
WTTW News coverage of policing and police reform is supported by The Joyce Foundation.
Contact Heather Cherone: @HeatherCherone | (773) 569-1863 | [email protected]
