Union president blasts Weis
By Travis TruittUnion president blasts Weis
By Travis TruittUpdated At: 5:30 on 10/20/2010
The president of the Chicago Fraternal Order of Police Wednesday lashed out at Police Superintendent Jody Weis for his handling of an alleged case of police brutality.
Mark Donahue is the police union’s president. He said Weis’ Friday night press conference was held in haste and that Weis didn’t conduct a proper investigation.
Two of seven officers stripped of police powers have now been reinstated. Donahue said GPS records prove they weren’t present when a suspect was allegedly beaten.
“At least two officers, and potentially all seven department members, have had their careers damaged by the superintendent’s lapse of sound judgement,” Donahue said. “He didn’t even have the common decency to apologize to, or even recognize, that these two officers have been cleared in his latest television appearance just this morning.”
The names of the officers have not been released publicly. But Donahue said their reputations have been damaged within the department.
He also said the Fraternal Order of Police is considering legal action “against this superintendent on behalf of these two police officers whose good names and reputations have been tarnished by his incompetence.”
Few details have been released about the incident in question. But on Tuesday, Mayor Richard Daley told reporters that “a young person was handcuffed and several police officers watched it, and someone went over and punched him in the jaw. The superintendent immediately suspended him.”
The Chicago Police Department today released a statement confirming that two officers have been cleared in the incident and that they’re not part of the investigation. The department says it is “committed to cooperating fully with all (Independent Police Review Authority) investigations. It is important to note that relief of powers does not consititute discipline.”