The ugliness within the Chicago Police Department has made headlines again due to racist comments by an officer. According to a recording obtained by DNAinfo, the incident allegedly occurred on the morning following the Donald Trump rally in Chicago that turned violent.
Several officers were communicating over a Chicago police radio when it occurred. The conversation began in a jovial tone as a few officers cracked jokes over the radio system while communicating with dispatchers. But the conversation was eventually interrupted by another officer who appeared to be commenting on the Donald Trump rally which was eventually canceled.
“Typical f—k–g n—–s,” the man said over the radio. He continued by saying, “Black Lives Matter, my a–. F–k–g n—–s.” One of the officers responded to the dispatcher by telling her to find out which police radio it came from. The dispatcher responded by telling the officer that they can’t get radio numbers, but she would notify her supervisor. The audio stopped shortly after her statement.
The CPD’s corruption has gone unchecked for decades. The issues reached a boiling point when a video was released in November that showed unarmed teenager LaQuan McDonald being executed by a police officer. Mayor Rahm Emanuel and other city officials kept the video from the public for years until they were finally forced to release it at the request of a judge. Other police killings and police brutality incidents have cost the city $500 million due to settlements and court expenses. However, Emanuel remains in office and the Justice Department has yet to issue the city of Chicago and its police department punishment for years of functioning improperly.
An audio of a police officer using the N-word and speaking negatively about Black Lives Matter serves as a vivid reminder of the racism that continues to exist within the CPD.
Police spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi said an investigation by Internal Affairs has started with the hopes of revealing the officer who used the derogatory terms.
