After a week of contradictions in the case of a Chicago woman who was subjugated during a botched police raid, Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced on Monday that 12 cops involved in the case have been placed on administrative leave, the Associated Press reports.
According to WLS the group includes 11 officers and one sergeant. Their names have not been released while the Civilian Office of Police Accountability investigates.
Lightfoot’s decision is the latest in a series of developments after Chicago’s top attorney, Corporation Counsel Mark Flessner, stepped down in relation to the raid of Anjanette Young‘s home in Feb. 2019. On Monday two other city officials’ departures were announced, Caryn Jacobs from the Deputy Corporation Counsel and Kathy Fieweger, director of public affairs for the law department.
Young, caught off guard after cops stormed into her home, stood naked in her living room for over 40 minutes while cops searched for an individual who lived in a neighboring apartment, and refused to leave when she informed them of their mistake.
The video of the encounter was first shared by CBS 2 Chicago after Lightfoot’s administration attempted to block the release of the video. Young obtained the footage through an ongoing suit against the CPD. Lightfoot initially denied prior knowledge of the raid but confessed that she was made aware of the footage in Nov. 2019.
She apologized to Young over her administration’s actions, but the public has become disenchanted due to a history of scandal and coverups led by city leaders in conjunction with the CPD. The late release of Young’s encounter with the CPD fell outside of protocol established after the tragic shooting of Laquan McDonald, where under the jurisdiction of Mayor Rahm Emanuel, law enforcement agreed to release video footage of all police incidents within 60 days.
“People, and particularly Black people here in Chicago but really across the country, feel angry and feel violated. I also feel more motivated than ever. Now is the time for action,” said Lightfoot. “Trust has been breached, trust in our city, trust in me. And that is a trust which I understand and will win back.”
Lightfoot says she will work on restoring the trust of Chicagoans, but critics argue that Lightfoot belongs to a group of Black mayors across America who have done nothing but further the status quo in terms of how Black people are treated in their respective cities.
City officials called for a probe into the investigation and the first legislative hearing is scheduled to take place on Tuesday morning.
Young hopes that her experience can help bring accountability to the CPD and has promised to donate monies raised in her name to social justice efforts.
SEE ALSO:
Chicago Woman Terrorized In Botched Raid To Donate GoFundMe Money To Social Justice Efforts
