Body-worn cameras recorded Chicago Police Department officers denying medical attention to an arrested protester having a seizure and telling another they would be raped in jail, an Inspector General’s review of the department’s protest response found.
A police officer likely ignored a male arrestee who asked for their seizure medication while being transported to a detention center, since no response was recorded on the body camera footage, according to the City of Chicago Office of Inspector General report.
The report looked at Chicago Police Department’s use of force and response to the chaotic demonstrations and riots that followed the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis on May 25. Floyd died after a former police officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes and nationwide civil unrest followed.
The police department failed to competently carry out mass arrests, apply the use of force, and manage structural obstacles to discipline and accountability, according to the report. The department failed to arrest some protesters, released many without charging them, and risked the safety of everyone involved.
A female arrestee was found by an officer lying face down in the back of the vehicle. “Chick’s having a seizure, I guess,” video captured an officer saying, according to the report. The officer added that she appeared to be breathing, said that nothing could be done and closed the door without providing medical assistance.
The City and Chicago Police Department failed to plan in any meaningful way to ensure that officers on the ground would respect the First Amendment rights and safety of those marching for justice. As a result, Chicago police retreated to their usual, discriminatory practices.
— ACLU of Illinois (@ACLUofIL) February 18, 2021
One officer told other officials about how they made an arrestee cry by telling them they would be raped in jail because they were thin, video captured, according to the report. In the same video, an officer said that officials should “just shoot” the occupants and tires of a vehicle they were pursuing.
“I will tase you if you move, do you hear me?” an officer told a nonviolent arrestee, according to the report. An officer also called an arrestee a “little bitch” for saying they were in pain. (RELATED: ‘Brutal, Violent, And Unconstitutional’: Protesters Sue Chicago Police For Tactics Used During Demonstrations)
Several officials failed to wear or turn on their body-worn cameras, according to the report. Law enforcement officers were also documented hiding their names and badge numbers while responding to demonstration activity.
Officers at all levels did not adequately file Tactical Response Reports after using force during mass arrests, according to the report. Specialized crowd control agents were deployed and not documented, officers also underreported instances of manual and baton strikes.
“The way in which CPD [Chicago Police Department] responded to the protests and unrest posed critical challenges to the appropriate management of allegations of police misconduct,” according to the report.
The department was “under-prepared and ill-equipped” to respond to protests, and failed to document where and when officers were deployed, according to the report.
The Chicago Police Department did not respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
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