CHICAGO (AP) — The white Chicago police officer charged with first-degree murder in the fatal shooting of a black teenager was the subject of 18 civilian complaints over 14 years, including allegations that he used racial epithets and excessive force, police and court records show.
Complaints against police are not uncommon. But the number filed against Jason Van Dyke was high, and at least one was linked to a civil trial where jurors awarded damages to someone he arrested.
Van Dyke’s lawyer, Daniel Herbert, did not return a message left Wednesday by The Associated Press seeking comment about the complaints.
After the complaints were filed, the 37-year-old Van Dyke, who joined the department in June 2001, denied every allegation. None of the complaints resulted in disciplinary action. A closer look at some of the cases:
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COMPLAINT: A black woman accused Van Dyke of repeatedly directing racial epithets at her as police searched an apartment on Dec. 1, 2013, according to the records from the Independent Police Review Board, which investigates complaints against police. She was not the subject of the search.
FINDING: The board concluded that the woman herself was “invasive, disruptive and provocative such that her arrest also would have been justified had it occurred.” It added that “the officers at the scene acted with apparent restraint.”
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COMPLAINT: A 34-year-old black man stopped on suspicion of drunk driving on March 19, 2011, accused Van Dyke of choking him when he refused to spit out a cough drop. Later, Van Dyke allegedly bent the man’s arm behind his back when he hesitated about taking a fourth breathalyzer test.
FINDING: The board concluded that, “Without any physical or independent information, there is insufficient evidence to prove or disprove the allegations.”
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COMPLAINT: As police responded to a report of a car accident near a liquor store on April 6, 2008, a 20-year-old black man alleged that Van Dyke pointed a gun at him and a different officer kicked him in the eye as he lay on the ground. Van Dyke told investigators the man was stopped because he and other bystanders ran as police arrived. When shown a picture of the man’s injury, the board’s report said, Van Dyke “indicated he did not know how the injury to his left eye was sustained.”
FINDING: The report concluded that, “Given the lack of any witnesses, it cannot be determined how (the man) sustained the injury.”
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COMPLAINT: A 41-year-old black man claimed Van Dyke and his partner pushed him and verbally abused him during a July 9, 2007, traffic stop. After Van Dyke’s partner slammed the man onto the hood of his car, Van Dyke allegedly shoved the handcuffed man into a police car. The man said he injured both shoulders.
FINDING: The review board said there was no evidence backing the allegations. But the man later filed a federal lawsuit and won. In 2009, jurors awarded him $350,000 for his injuries.
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I have known several city cops over my 65 years on the planet. Many have no complaints filed against them in 20 years of service, indeed, some of them receive commendations or other awards, advance up the ranks, supervise well, teach others to be good cops. It is a terribly tough job to do, and cops make mistakes in judgement once in a while, but not 18 mistakes in judgement in just a few years.
Once a cop has amassed more than 3 complaints against him or her, put them on desk duty or perhaps as high as emergency phone operators, (very critical role in America, where those on the phones know what cops could face, but seldom a deadly job), never let them return to being cops the street.
I disagree with keeping them gainfully employed (after three verified complaints) within the department. That merely gives tacit approval of their behavior and encourages a “just don’t get caught” culture, which, by the way, is a major part of the problem to begin with.
There are more good cops than bad cops. Housecleaning is always good.
Just a thought: Funny, isn’t it, that you never hear of same cultural dysfunction in fire departments? Well, except for that nepotism thing that keeps popping up.
This is decidedly OT but
How to Freak Out the Chief of Police
I once received a speeding ticket in a small town in Kansas while driving a big truck. It wasn’t a speed trap situation or anything, I simply couldn’t pick out the speed limit sign — and I was looking for it — among the visual clusterfuck of other signs. Indeed, I only knew the speed limit changed because of an alert from my trusty Garmin®.
I pleaded with the cop to not give me a ticket but he did anyway. As I signed the ticket he told me steps I could take to get it mitigated. Why? Because I was as respectful to him as he was to me.
I was so impressed by the officer’s professionalism and humanity that I called the Chief of Police and told him about my encounter, and how proud he should be to have an officer of that caliber under his command.
After the Chief got over the shock — he was so stunned that I wasn’t calling to complain that you’d swear I’d just thrown a flash-bang into his office over the phone — that a guy that just got a speeding ticket was calling to compliment the issuer of same, we had a nice chat and he asked if he could share omg comments with the officer. “Sure,” I said. “Please do.”
I had a point here but now I have no idea what it was. I guess it’s this:
Have a great Thanksgiving Officer Mike Carpenter and everyone else, wherever you are. And be safe!
Prolog: I got the ticket mitigated from 35 in a 25 to improper parking. Still cost a couple hundred dollars but it didn’t add any points. Thanks, Mike.
And now it’s time for …