Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot abruptly fired the city’s police superintendent Monday; citing “ethical lapses” and “intentional dishonesty” regarding an incident that occurred last October.
“Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson was fired Monday a few weeks before his planned retirement — the stunning early dismissal by Mayor Lori Lightfoot issued alongside a stinging rebuke of the city’s former top cop that cited his ‘ethical lapses’ and ‘intentionally dishonest’ answers regarding a controversial October incident,” reports Fox News.
“The ignominious end to Johnson’s tenure comes a few weeks after he announced plans to retire at the end of the year. His decision to leave the job came amid intense scrutiny of an Oct. 17 encounter in which police officers reportedly found Johnson asleep in his car at a stop sign. Lightfoot later said Johnson confessed to her he had ‘a couple of drinks with dinner’ before getting behind the wheel that night, and the incident was still being investigated as of Monday,” adds Fox.
“Upon a thorough review of the materials of the Inspector General’s ongoing investigation, it has become clear that Mr. Johnson engaged in a series of ethical lapses that are intolerable,” Lightfoot said in a biting statement Monday. “Mr. Johnson was intentionally dishonest with me and communicated a narrative replete with false statements regarding material aspects of the incident that happened in the early morning hours of October 17.”
Read the full report at Fox News.
BREAKING NOW: Chicago Police Release ‘Hundreds of Documents’ on Jussie Smollett Case
The Chicago Police Department released ‘hundreds of pages of documents’ regarding ‘Empire’ actor Jussie Smollett’s criminal case Thursday; disclosing the material weeks after prosecutors abruptly dropped multiple felony charges.
“Feb 13: Police located and interviewed the Osundairo brothers, who confessed. They said Jussie Smollett planned and staged the attack. This was one day before Smollett went on Good Morning America,” posted a reporter with CBS Chicago.
Feb 13: Police located and interviewed the Osundairo brothers, who confessed. They said Jussie Smollett planned and staged the attack. This was one day before Smollett went on Good Morning America. pic.twitter.com/hgcfpeoxKI
— Charlie De Mar (@CharlieDeMar) May 30, 2019
The weather conditions stated in the supplemental police report the night (morning) Smollett says he was beaten. pic.twitter.com/RxjMXwciau
— Rob Elgas (@RobElgasABC7) May 30, 2019
Here’s a supplemental police report that states how Smollett described one of the alleged offenders. pic.twitter.com/YaT99CIhWS
— Rob Elgas (@RobElgasABC7) May 30, 2019
EXCLUSIVE:
I tracked down surveillance of the Osundairo's buying supplies before "attack"
Sources say Jussie Smollet told brothers what to buy.
Countless phone calls placed for this.
Visited more stores than I wish to admit. @cbschicago https://t.co/GT6h2g6Y9a pic.twitter.com/ULr3UTDe9Q
— Charlie De Mar (@CharlieDeMar) February 20, 2019
The disclosure comes days after a judge in Cook County ordered the documents “unsealed.”
“Cook County judge Steven G. Watkins’ decision came months after a dizzying set of events: First, Smollett alleged he’d been the victim of a hate crime; after an extensive investigation, Chicago cops arrested Smollett and accused him of faking the supposed attack; and then, Cook County prosecutors suddenly dropped the charges against Smollett and his case was sealed,” reports Fox News.
“In January, Smollett made national headlines when he filed a police report alleging two masked men attacked him, put a rope around his neck and poured bleach on him as he was walking home from a fast food eatery. Smollett, who is black and openly gay, said the masked men beat him, made racist and homophobic comments and yelled, ‘This is MAGA country’ — a reference to President Trump’s ‘Make America Great Again’ slogan — before fleeing the scene,” adds the article.
Chicago officials and the city’s Police Department fumed after a lone prosecutor decided to drop the case.
The City of Chicago officially filed a lawsuit against ‘Empire’ star Jussie Smollett weeks ago; seeking to recoup the costs associated with his alleged hate crime hoax that occupied more than 24 police officers over a two-week period.
“The 12-page civil lawsuit , filed in Cook County court, is the latest volley in a legal battle that shows no signs of abating since Smollett reported that masked men beat him up on Jan. 29 in Chicago, shouting slurs and wrapping a rope around his neck,” reports the Associated Press.
“The lawsuit doesn’t specify an amount of money the city is seeking but does indicate it wants over $390,000 plus ‘further relief as this Court deems just and equitable.’ It also asks that Smollett be ordered to foot any legal bills Chicago incurs in suing him,” adds the author.
Read the full report at Fox News.
BUSTED! Chicago Mayor Caught on Hot Mic Calling Police Union Boss ‘A Clown’ at Council Meeting
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot stunned a City Council meeting Wednesday; calling the Fraternal Order of Police boss a “clown” on a hot microphone.
“It’s no secret that Mayor Lightfoot does not get along with the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP),” reports Fox News. “However, it was still surprising when, during the City Council meeting, she was caught on a microphone insulting the group’s second in command.”
"Oh, back again,” @chicagosmayor Lori Lightfoot whispered from her seat on the dais in the City Council chamber. “This is this FOP clown.” https://t.co/wKyQDTPVc2 pic.twitter.com/EkarbA4rDn
— CBS Chicago (@cbschicago) July 24, 2019
“Oh, back again, this FOP clown,” said Lightfoot.
Lori Lightfoot weighed-in last weekend on her city’s unprecedented gang violence; blaming nearby Indiana for the flow of guns into the region.
“Previously we had a law enforcement first and only strategy and it wasn’t working. It’s not working when you talk about neighborhoods where the unemployment rate is 25% or higher. It’s not working when you think about the fact that in many communities, 90% or more of residents are depending on public assistance and where neighborhoods haven’t been invested in, where there’s no real legitimate economic activity,” said Lightfoot.
“The fact that you can cross the border, go into Indiana and purchase military-grade weapons at any number with no background check is a terrible thing, not only for a city but look at the devastation that gun violence is wreaking every single day in our community,” she added.
‘We have to treat this epidemic of violence that we’re seeing as a public health crisis.’ — @chicagosmayor Lori Lightfoot wants to reframe violence in the city so officials can get to the real root of the problem and fix it pic.twitter.com/iLLkcQirXs
— NowThis (@nowthisnews) July 18, 2019
Lightfoot confirmed last week that her city will not comply with any future immigration raids; blocking ICE agents from accessing the police department’s vast databases.
“Chicago is and will always be a welcoming city that will never tolerate ICE tearing our families apart,” said Lightfoot at a press conference Wednesday.
“The Chicago Police Department will not cooperate with ICE. That means that they will not team up with ICE to detain any resident. We’ve also cut off access from ICE to any CPD databases and that will remain permanent,” she added.